


Long journey

by lets_winwin



Series: Our utopia [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Cat/Human Hybrids, Domestic Fluff, Human Kim Hongjoong, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Park Seonghwa, Rest of ateez as kids, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Werewolf Seonghwa, but no actual smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:02:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 103,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25899376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lets_winwin/pseuds/lets_winwin
Summary: Hongjoong and Seonghwa learn what it is like, when their family and children begin to grow.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Our utopia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872391
Comments: 22
Kudos: 132





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my old story from 2016, revisited and edited especially for ateez from my old abandoned account @mimnen

It was a regular morning in the Kim household.

Well, as regular as a morning with five kids could get.

But Seonghwa and Hongjoong had gotten used to the daily routine that they have been keeping up with for almost 7 years already.

There usually was no need for an alarm in the morning to wake them up, as one of the kids usually woke them up before it. Sometimes by quietly shaking them by climbing up into the bed, or sometimes by screaming from the door- waking up everyone in the house as well.

Hongjoong was grateful that their oldest, Yeosang, had already figured out that the latter one was the wrong way to wake up someone.

'Appa.' The young one murmured as he shook Hongjoong gently from his shoulders. Repeating this until he got a reaction from Hongjoong. Hongjoong sleepily turned in the bed and opened his eyes, blinking a few times.

'What is it?' He asked, a bit worried- as always when the oldest of the boys was the one to wake him up. It was usually the younger ones, who had trouble sleeping because they thought that there were monsters under their beds, or something along those lines.

'I think Daddy is feeling sick again...' He whispered and Hongjoong blinked a few times, still too sleepy and tired to quite understand what the other was saying, but nodded his head as he got up, sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked behind him and saw that indeed, Seonghwa was already up and had left the bed.

'Is he in the bathroom?' Hongjoong asked with a whisper, afraid to wake up anyone else. Yeosang slowly nodded his head and Hongjoong messed with his hair, receiving a cute pout from the other. 'Good job buddy, i'll go make sure he is fine.'

As Hongjoong got up and began walking out of the master bedroom, Yeosang followed behind him, probably wanting to make sure that Seonghwa was fine. Hongjoong smiled as Yeosang reached for his hand. He took a hold of his smaller hand and led him down stairs where he could already see the light coming out of the bathroom. Hongjoong couldn't help but feel bad that the other had decided to take his way into the downstairs bathroom instead of the one connected to their master bedroom. Seonghwa knew that Hongjoong had a rough day at work and wanted to sleep well, so Seonghwa didn't want to wake him up. 

When the two reached it, Seonghwa was already up and brushing his teeth. He had been throwing up.

Seonghwa hummed out surprised when he noticed the two. 'What got you two to get up?' He spoke, with a mouth full of foam.

'Yeosang heard you being sick, and woke me up.' Hongjoong spoke and smiled as Yeosang shyly walked up to Seonghwa to hug him, his head pressing up against his waist.

'Is it the baby hurting your tummy again?' Yeosang asked, his voice muffled by the material of Seonghwa's T-shirt.

Seonghwa smiled. 'Yeah, the baby is giving my tummy a hard time right now. But it will get better.' Seonghwa assured Yeosang and put his hand through his hair.

Hongjoong leaned against the door frame and looked at the scene.

It was quiet in the small bathroom for a moment. Just the three of them there, with the sound of the water running in the sink. This lasted only for a moment, because soon Hongjoong could hear San scream upstairs.

He and Seonghwa looked at each other and went through a whole conversation in their mind, until finally moving from their spots.

'I guess i'll start making breakfast.' Seonghwa laughed as he put his toothbrush away and washed his mouth. Yeosang offered to help him with the breakfast, like he always did. He was such a good kid.

Hongjoong left the two to do their own thing in the kitchen and marched back up stairs to the rest of the boys. Just as he thought, San's screams had already woken up Mingi, who was now walking along the hallway with a hand rubbing at his eyes. He reached his arms up as soon as he noticed Hongjoong.

'Hey buddy.' Hongjoong smiled as he lifted the boy in his arms. Mingi pouted as he rubbed his eyes, yawning silently. 'Still tired?' Hongjoong asked as he brushed away his bangs that almost reached his eyes. The boys really needed a haircut. Mingi nodded lazily and finally opened his eyes.

'I'm hungry.' The five year old stated firmly and Hongjoong laughed.

He put the other down. 'Go and join Dad and your hyung downstairs. They are making breakfast right now.' It seemed like Mingi didn't mind being put down, as his eyes lit up at the mention of food, taking off running as soon as he heard the words. Hongjoong yelled back at him not to run on the stairs.

He watched Mingi go, peeking into the biggest bedroom to see a light being turned on. Yunho stared up at Hongjoong with squinted eyes, clearly upset that his twin had already woken up and left his side.   
Hongjoong ran his fingers through the boys hair, humming out a question of: did you sleep well? Only to receive a lazy nod before Yunho was heading towards the bathroom that should now be free after Seonghwa.

He closed the door that was left open from Yeosang's, Yunho's and Mingi's room, and opened the door next to it. Already seeing that their 3 year old's were wide awake.

'Yah, Kim Wooyoung , what have we said about jumping on the bed?' Hongjoong spoke, trying to seem serious, but Wooyoung saw right through him. He wasn't actually mad, he never was. He did stop jumping on the bed however, and ran right into Hongjoong's arms.

'San started it.' Wooyoung smiled and sat onto Hongjoong's hip as the other held onto him.

'That doesn't make it okay, remember.' Hongjoong reminded him, and Wooyoung nodded his head. He was about to 'scold' Wooyoung more but he was interrupted by an ear screeching scream.

'San! Remember your inside voice.' He reminded the taller toddler as he also now threw himself onto Hongjoong. He didn't even answer him, just laughed as he literally climbed up his back, his hands coming to hold onto Hongjoong's neck. Sure, it was hard to breath but this way he could get both of the boys to come down stairs without a fight.

He began walking, out of the room and then down the stairs, with the two holding onto him like monkeys to a tree.

Seonghwa was frying something on the stove and laughed as he saw the three.

Wooyoung and San soon left Hongjoong, as they noticed Yeosang and Mingi watching tv in the living room. They joined them, watching some cartoons before it was time for breakfast. Yunho soon joined them as well, asking what his brothers were watching. 

Hongjoong rolled his shoulder, feeling it becoming a bit sore from the ride he just gave the two. 'I'm too old for this.' He groaned as he sat down at the table.

Seonghwa smiled and continued cooking, flipping the eggs he had just cracked onto the frying pan.

Hongjoong turned and looked towards the living room, seeing the five kids all sitting nicely on the couch. San sometimes getting up and doing some jumps while being mesmerized by the kids' show before calming down again and sitting down. That was a thing he always did, as he had so much energy. Hongjoong shook his head as he saw him put his tail into his mouth, beginning to suck on it, also a habit of his.

'Should we get the tape again?' Hongjoong watched as Yeosang clearly told his brother to stop sucking on his tail. San stopping for a moment, until he did it again. Hongjoong and Seonghwa had taken their son to many doctors over the years, due to other reasons as well but also because of his cute yet odd way of sucking on his own tail. It wasn't dangerous, but could be stopped. It would make San feel bad if he got made fun of for his habit in preschool, so doctors recommended just some regular tape wrapped around the tip of his fluffy tail to stop him from sucking on it.

'You know how much he hates the tape.' Seonghwa murmured. 'Besides, the doctors told us it was only normal. He should stop doing it on his own after a while.'

Hongjoong nodded his head. He watched how San's fluffy ears lowered when Yeosang told him to stop once again. Probably saying something along the words of, Appa and Dad told you not to do that.

But he couldn't really help it.

It was a habit San had from the start when he became a part of their family.

Somehow, Seonghwa and Hongjoong had found themselves in the middle of an adoption process, a few years ago.

They got an answer, two years after they first sent in their application. The timing had been a bit unfitting though, as Seonghwa and Hongjoong had just had their fourth son, Wooyoung , who had just turned 3 months old. But they never even thought about saying no after hearing about the small child in need of a loving home. So, San, a few weeks old at the time, joined them the very next month.

Hongjoong wasn't going to lie, it was hard, taking care of two baby's at the same time. It was even more hard when they already had three kids as well. But they made it work, they always somehow seemed to. Having the twins- Mingi and Yunho also gave them some practice.

San was a cat hybrid. He was a mixed breed, and it wasn't quite clear what he had in him, but he had long, dark brown hair, and these cute tufts of hair on his ears. His mother was quite young, in her teens at the time, and knew from the start that she wouldn't be able to take care of San on her own. So she gave him over, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong just happened to be the ones who got him in the end. He could have not gotten a better home.

Even though San was young, only three years old. He realized things very quickly, as he was very smart. He noticed the details, like how come he looked different from everyone else? How come he had a tail and different looking ears, and no one else did? How come he had darker skin than everyone else? Seonghwa's heart broke when he heard San ask these questions from Wooyoung one night when they were going to sleep.

Yeosang would say that he was adopted. Simple as that.

Mingi would probably say he was a gift from Santa Claus, because of his birthday.

Yunho would say he was brought in by a crane, like all babies.

Wooyoung didn't even understand where he himself came from, so he didn't know where San came from. He was actually jealous of his cat features and sometimes asked why he didn't have them.

San was too young to understand the meaning of adoption, and wouldn't probably know what it meant if they were to tell him about it already at such a young age. So, whenever the question came up, Seonghwa and Hongjoong explained it to him simply.

'People are different. Appa is different from Dad, a bit like how you are different from Yeosang or Wooyoung . But, that doesn't mean anything. We are still all family together, no matter how different we might be at the end of the day.' That explanation always made San smile.

He remembered it almost from word to word, and used it whenever someone from daycare asked him why his father looked so different from him when he dropped him off. He didn't feel different as all of them were different from each other. That was what made them so perfect.

'You feeling better?' Hongjoong asked as he reached and stole a piece of toast from the plate next to Seonghwa. He smirked as he put it in his mouth and Seonghwa glared at him.

'Yeah, I am.' Seonghwa then spoke. 'I just really don't like the fact that I already thought that I was clear from the morning sickness.' Hongjoong hummed and chewed his mouth empty.

Seonghwa was 3 months pregnant. He had a pretty ruff start, with feeling sick all day long and very sleepy. He went through a few weeks of not feeling sick, but it seemed like the sickness came back. If you were to compare this pregnancy to all of Seonghwa's previous ones, he had it easy back then. He had thought that it couldn't get any worse than when he was expecting Yeosang. Mingi and Yunho made it easy for him, almost as if pitying him for what Yeosang had made him go through. They hardly ever made him sick, Seonghwa didn't even think he was pregnant at all because he never felt like he was, because there was no sickness or weird cravings for a long time. The delivery was short, however a little tougher than the rest since they had twins, luckily he didn't need a c-section. Whenever he looks at the twins these days, he can't help but remember how happy yet shocked both he and Hongjoong had been when they first found out they were expecting two babies instead of one. Wooyoung was a complete opposite from the twins when Seonghwa was expecting him. There wasn't a day that went by in the end where he wasn't moving at least 20 hours a day, making it very hard for Seonghwa to relax. Wooyoung's delivery was the easiest in the end, only taking 7 hours after a day long mild heat. Seonghwa liked to believe that was only because the other was so small.

*

'Yeosang, did you get your backpack from your room yet?' Seonghwa asked the eldest of the five, while cutting the toast into smaller pieces so San and Wooyoung could eat them. The two were still seated in front of the tv, and would put up a fight when Seonghwa would try to get them to leave.

Yeosang was already finishing up his breakfast, and had already dressed in his school uniform. The 6 year old looked always so cute in it, but didn't like to hear Seonghwa say it out loud.

'No, i'll get it soon.' Yeosang spoke and took a big bite of the fried eggs. Hongjoong smiled at the way his cheeks expanded.

'Be sure not to forget it, Appa will have to drive back to get it.' Seonghwa murmured under his breath, and smiled when he heard Yeosang whine under his breath for reminding him too many times.

Hongjoong always drove Yeosang to school on his way to his studio. While Seonghwa took care of the younger four who would go to daycare until Seonghwa got out of work. Seonghwa had hated the fact that he needed to get a driving licence, but it became very useful. And this way Hongjoong got to keep his precious car, as Seonghwa had the big family sized van that actually fit them all inside of it.

After Yeosang was done eating, and went to get his backpack, he and Hongjoong left. Mingi, who almost fell asleep on the dinner table, woke up when Hongjoong kissed his head before leaving.

'I want Appa to take me to daycare one day.' He whined under his breath and lazily ate his eggs.

'Me too…' Yunho sighed dramatically. 

'You'll get to go with his car once you'll go into school.' Seonghwa reminded the boys as he carried Wooyoung into the dinner table, seating him down next to himself. San had followed behind them all by himself, like a big boy.

San squealed as he saw his favorite food of all time, bread, and began to eat. Wooyoung turned his head away as Seonghwa tried to give him his own toast and fruit, whining and closing his lips tightly. Seonghwa sighed. 'Wooyoung-ah, you really should eat. It would make Dad really happy.' He cooed, trying to get the three year old to eat.

'It would make me happy too.' San exclaimed, making Wooyoung look at him. He took a big bite of his toast, while looking at Wooyoung.

'See?' Seonghwa smiled. 'You are the hyung, so you need to show San how to eat well, Wooyoung .' He spoke and looked as Wooyoung eyed the piece of break on his Winnie the pooh decorated plate.

He quietly took the piece in his hand and brought it up to take a bite. San clapped his hands loudly, probably making breadcrumbs fly everywhere, but that was alright, because Wooyoung smiled and took another bite.

It had really been a never ending fight to get Wooyoung to eat.

Wooyoung was born as a premature baby. He was only 32 weeks inside Seonghwa when he gave birth to him. He weighed so little, and he was just so small. He spent a few weeks in the hospital until he was finally able to come back home with them.

Wooyoung was 3 months old when San joined them. And San was a just born baby himself, but he was bigger than Wooyoung . He always was.

Wooyoung had trouble eating from the start. They soon figured out that he was allergic to a lot of things, like milk and gluten. So not only was he a picky eater, he also could eat only a few things. So it made it a bit difficult for Seonghwa and Hongjoong to find things that he liked to eat, as they seemed to change so often. Just last week gluten-free toast seemed to be his favorite thing ever, but today he would not eat it before San gave him some words of courage.

He had to take a lot of different medication to help him to grow and get all the nutrients that he needed in his small growing body. Sometimes he took the pills easily, some mornings it became a whole war to get him to take them. Luckily, it seemed like Wooyoung was having a good morning today, as he took the pills easily with a spoonful of yogurt.

'Mingi, go get your shoes so we can put them on.'

'Yunho, can you turn off the tv before we leave?'

'Wooyoung , take one last piece of your bread, please.'

'San, your tail is swimming in your cereal again.'

Hongjoong truly thought that Seonghwa was a superhero, for taking care of the four every morning when he already left to work and took Yeosang to school. Sure, it was hard for Seonghwa as well sometimes, but he managed it. But he was sure he wouldn't be able to go through it again once the baby would be born. Adding another crying kid in the mess would make it impossible for Seonghwa to take care of it all by himself. Luckily by then twins would also be going to school, so it made it a bit easier. But still almost impossible.

The daycare nurse's would call monthly, informing that one of the kids was missing a shoe or their lunch- stuff that wasn't dangerous and something that happened to every parent. Still, it made Seonghwa upset at himself every time. They would need to come up with something by then, so that Seonghwa would stay alive.

Hongjoong could change his working hours, as it didn't really matter when he showed up to the studio most of the days. Sure, he had to be there early on some days because of recordings and meetings, but usually he could do whatever he wished. He was lucky to be the bosses favorite.

Hongjoong had already worked for the company for 10 years now. And he didn't really have any intentions of moving to another one. He was happy with how things were right now with the company. They had moved spaces a few times, Hongjoong getting a bigger studio for himself every time. He also had gotten a promotion a few times as well. So you could say he was doing quite well.

Seonghwa was doing great in school as always. In the 8 years that he has been working as the school's home economics teacher he has never heard a student be unhappy with the way that he has been teaching them. He has always been the favorite teacher, only ever making his students mad by having to tell them that he was going to be staying on maternity leave for a whole year.

He actually had to experience that again by telling his students today, that he would be stopping teaching again.

*

'Yunho, how was preschool?' Seonghwa asked as he helped the boy get up into the car, putting on his seat belt for him. Yunho smiled widely, nodding his head.

Mingi smiled as he held onto a piece of paper, his feet swinging up and down. He gave Seonghwa the paper once he was done putting him onto the car.

'I drew this today!' He declared, excited. Seonghwa smiled as he opened the folded piece of paper.

'That is you, that is Appa...' Mingi pointed at each of the figures he had drawn. All of them looked quite similar, except for the obvious San with his ears and tail, and Hongjoong who had pink hair. '...Yunho, Wooyoung , Yeosang, Me, San and the baby!'

'The baby' being the odd looking lump in the corner of the paper. Seonghwa then asked him why the baby wasn’t in his stomach anymore but out already.

'This is when you have puked it out already.' Mingi explained calmly.

Oh, how Seonghwa loved to listen to kids explain how babies worked.

Yeosang was old enough to know about the birds and the bees in a way. He knew that babies were made when two people love each other very, very much and they want to have a baby together. He wasn’t being told the details of how it all happened in the end, but he had an idea. Somehow it involved kissing.

Mingi on the other hand had no idea. He had been told as well, but in the end he liked to believe his own theory more. Seonghwa ate a baby. And it is now cooking in his stomach until he let it out. That apparently meaning, throwing up.

Even though both Hongjoong and Seonghwa had never told the kids about the whole crane bird thing, Yunho had heard the theory from his preschool nurse's and too many tv shows and now believed their new sibling would be brought in some night through the window. 

Wooyoung and San however had just learned a whole new thing. That there even were babies. The thought of them being babies at some point in their lives seemed too unbelievable. So they chose to believe that Seonghwa and Hongjoong were trying to trick them. But in the end they at least got the boys to believe that there was indeed a baby coming into their family and that they would become big brothers. San couldn’t be more excited.

Yeosang had crossed his arms and pouted when he heard the news.

That was his first reaction every time he was told there would be a new member coming into the family. He had been confused when they told about Mingi and Yunho. He cried when he found out about Wooyoung. He kinda gave up when San came along as well.

But this one, he took it quite well in the end.

'As long as it doesn’t share a room with me, Yunho and Mingi.' That was the deal.

After Seonghwa had gotten Mingi and Yunho to do his homework from preschool, and gotten San and Wooyoung to calm down in front of the tv, it was just in time to start making dinner.

He had learned to work like a clock. He knew exactly what he could make in an hour, until Hongjoong and Yeosang came home and all the kids became hungry. Seonghwa could manage daily tasks quite well, even if there was a curve-ball thrown in the middle like one of the kids being sick. Hongjoong however... Let’s just say that when Seonghwa was out of the game because he was in heat or just feeling sick in general, Hongjoong fought for his life to make everyone happy.

'You have your phone on silence again.' Hongjoong spoke as the seven of them had all sat down to eat dinner. Hongjoong sat between the two toddlers, keeping up order and making sure that Wooyoung ate. Seonghwa watched with admiration as Mingi was learning to use chopsticks. Yunho sometimes tugged at his sleeves to get some attention as he spoke more about how his day went. 

Seonghwa hummed and took a bite of the food in his own mouth. 'I forgot to change it after work.' He explained and smiled as Mingi let out a small whine as his fingers seemed to turn into a knot.

'Your mother called me.' Hongjoong spoke with a mouth full of food. San screamed out exited at the mention of his favorite person ever, grandma. Hongjoong turned to hush him gently and then turned back to Seonghwa.

'It was about the family meeting. She wanted to ask if my parents were coming as well.' Hongjoong explained and Seonghwa sighed as he remembered the meeting again. He could swear the last one was just a few months ago.

'Well?' Seonghwa asked, giving Mingi a fork as he gave up trying to use the chopsticks. Yeosang looked a bit smug as he confidently used his own chopsticks to fish out a piece of meat from his plate. Mingi squinted his eyes before turning away.

'I’m sure they will come, so I said yes. I might call to ask them later though.' Hongjoong spoke and Seonghwa nodded his head.

Hongjoong’s parents were completely different from what they used to be. You wouldn’t even believe that they were the same people from before.

These days they visited them almost weekly, usually always bringing presents with them for the kids and Seonghwa and Hongjoong as well. Hongjoong’s mother was smiling and kind, and Hongjoong’s father was great with the kids. They really did want to be a part of the family, and Hongjoong saw the effort that they made. He was grateful that he got his parents back, better as ever.

They knew about werewolves now. They learned about them, and even about hybrids after they met San.

Hongjoong had been nervous to tell his parents that the newest addition to their family was a cat hybrid, as he feared they would go back to the start with their relationship. But they took it well. They read all about it, learning about him and his species. And then treated him like all the other boys.

But the one thing that changed the most, was the fact that they became more outgoing. Hongjoong was actually shocked to find out that his father took time out of work to attend Seonghwa's family’s meeting. They loved to attend it every year.

The kids loved to go visit grandma and grandpa during the family meeting. They loved the long car ride or the exiting train ride there. They liked seeing all their distant relatives, and even their cousins.

And even though Seonghwa once wished that Hansol would just disappear from the earth into some dark hole, he was happy that didn’t happen in the end. He and Mina now had a two year old son, Jisoo. And Hansol had truly changed after the first years they knew each other. There no longer were any annoying comments being thrown around about Seonghwa, and Seonghwa no longer tried to attack the other every time he saw him. They both acted like adults around each other, and it was nice.

Yeosang always liked to hang around with Seonghwa's father. He loved to hear him talk about all kinds of things, his favorite being the rich history of werewolves. He understood the fact that Seonghwa was a werewolf and Hongjoong a human. Yeosang would end up growing up to be one of the two, and he didn’t mind that. He sometimes asked if he could know the answer already, but Seonghwa had to remind him that it would take a few years for him to know.

Mingi loved to hang around with the other kids. And eating. That kid ate a lot of food, always going around the tables and crabbing something from the plates until running off to see his young relatives. 

Yunho was sneaky, always going somewhere were neither Hongjoong or Seonghwa couldn't’ see him. When they needed to leave, it always took a while to locate him. He was usually playing with his cousins or napping in some corner. 

Wooyoung was busy being annoyed by Jisoo, as the younger boy seemed to like him a lot. Wooyoung would run away from him to somewhere, be alone for a moment, until the small toddler made his way back to him. Then repeat. Seonghwa and Mina thought it was cute, Wooyoung not so much.

San was always bombarded with everyone coming up to him to touch his tail and ears. Kids and adults. He sometimes found it annoying, but liked to entertain them by showing off his cool skills of being able to grab onto things with his tail. If he found people being too nosy, he would find Hongjoong and hug his leg until Hongjoong got the message and lifted him up into his arms to protect him.

Hongjoong usually watched with embarrassment as his own parents arrived, some of Seonghwa's uncles coming up to his father like old friends from college. His mother finding Seonghwa's mother, so they could gossip about whatever came to their mind, it usually being about Seonghwa and his pregnancy.

'I have a feeling.' Hongjoong’s mother started, pointing at Seonghwa and his stomach, who rolled his eyes as he sat next to the two. 'That it is going to be a girl this time.'

'I don’t think so.' Seonghwa's mother smirked. 'I am 90% sure it is a boy again.'

Hongjoong’s mother hummed, looking around her. She laid her eyes on the kids table near them, looking at her grandkids. 'Are you still sure about your bets on the kids roles?'

'Oh come on, not this again.' Seonghwa whined and looked at the two, who completely ignored him.

'Yes, I won’t change my mind.' Seonghwa's mother spoke, looking over at the kids as well. She pointed at Yeosang. 'I am sure that Yeosang is going to turn into a strong alpha, like his grandfather. ' Hongjoong’s mother shook her head as she spoke. 'Mingi and Yunho are going to be alpha’s as well- you can just see it already. Wooyoung might be a beta- like me.'

'You seem to be forgetting the fact that they could be humans?' Hongjoong’s mother smirked and Seonghwa's mother laughed at that.

'Oh please, there is a small chance of that happening-'

'A small chance- please, it is a 50% chance.'

'I doubt it.' Seonghwa's mother rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine.

'Excuse me? You have to be kidding me...' Seonghwa had stopped listening by then.

He turned away and looked at the kids.

He loved seeing Yeosang smile. He smiled so little, and looked so serious all the time. So he loved seeing him have fun with people his age. Mingi too seemed to be enjoying himself, now that there was food in front of him. He was sure Yunho was having a good time as well- at least he always told them that in the car ride back home. San and Wooyoung were clearly coming up with something that would drive Seonghwa crazy at the end of the day that he'd have to end before it even began. They were just kids, doing their kid things. Just like what they should be doing. They didn't need to be thinking about their future roles.  
Seonghwa didn't like the fact that people thought about them so openly. Couldn’t you just keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself and not make bets about them, especially vocally, because they could maybe hear you. The last thing Seonghwa wanted was the kids beginning to worry about their future because the thought of changing might scare them.

He silently left the conversation.

*

This wasn't the first time Seonghwa thought about the kids' future in such a way. The first time he began to think about it for real, was on Yeosang's 6th birthday. Another 6 years to that and he could already change, like Seonghwa's sister had at the age of 12. Once he began thinking about it, he couldn't stop.

'What if they'll hate me?'

Hongjoong blinked a few times at Seonghwa's words. 'How could they ever hate you?' Hongjoong then asked, still taken back by his words.

Seonghwa sighed as he pushed away the covers and got up to sit on the edge of the bed. He looked at Hongjoong with worry written all over his face.

'What if they'll turn, and hate me because of it.' Seonghwa began, voice just a whisper. 'What if they blame me because of the pain, and the stigma that comes after it. What if they would just like to be humans like you? What if they'll hate their role, like I did when I was younger? They will hate me because I made them like that...'

Hongjoong could already see the tears on the corners of his eyes, ready to fall. He swallowed and moved from his spot, coming next to the elder one. His slowly placed his arms around the other protectively.

'They could never really hate you, you know that.' He began. 'They might be angry, confused and sad if the day comes. But they'll never hate you. They will all be teenagers by the time they might change, and you know how teenagers might be.' Seonghwa nodded his head slightly.

'There might be a time when they'll be angry at both of us, as that is just a part of growing up. But they will never hate us. We won't let that happen.'

And Hongjoong was right.

In the end all kids would be angry at their parents in some way when they were growing up. It was normal.

Even Seonghwa was angry when he first turned. He had asked why him? Why did he have to be like this and go through something like this, when others didn't? He understood it when he got older. He hoped that their kids would as well.

'My friend's big brother turned into an alpha over the weekend.' Yeosang spoke at the dinner table. Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong nervously but the other was too busy to notice as he was making sure Wooyoung didn't try to throw his food on the floor as he was having a little temper tantrum.

Hongjoong hummed as a response. 'She said she might become an alpha as well.' Yeosang continued while eating. Seonghwa would have usually told him to not speak while eating, but let it go past this one time. He wanted to hear what he thought about this.

'How does she know?' Hongjoong asked, while reaching over and pushing San's tail off of the dinner table before he accidentally pushed off a glass with it without noticing.

Yeosang shrugged his shoulder while chewing. 'She just said she had a feeling. Also her mom was sure of it as well.' He spoke as he played with the remaining food on his plate, clearly in deep thought.

'I think I want to be an alpha as well.'

Seonghwa dropped his own utensils with a loud sound.

It was almost as if Yeosang realized he had said something that upset Seonghwa, as he didn't mention the topic for a long time after that incident at the dinner table. Seonghwa didn't mention it either, either because he didn't want to or because of something else. The topic was forgotten for a while.

*

Hongjoong cursed under his breath as he saw the crowd of people outside of the KQ building. As he parked his car, he could already see the people noticing him, making their way over to him, cameras flashing.

'Here we go again...' Hongjoong swallowed and put on his sunglasses before getting out of his car. God, there really should be a different parking space- the kind where you could park your car and not have people get over to it so easily.

'Kim Hongjoong-shi!'

'What are your thoughts on the rumors of you quitting?'

'Pyeonghongman, have you thought about your new projects recently? Could you give us a hint on who the singers you'll be working with will be?'

'Have you considered removing yourself from the music industry?'

Hongjoong pulled on his hood to cover his face better as he walked up to the door, opening it with his card and getting inside, luckily, without any of the reporters trying to get in with him. He greeted the security man at the front desk, almost feeling mad for him not doing anything about the people outside. In the end he was one man, so what could he do?

Hongjoong sat on the sofa in his studio with a loud sigh.

He felt exhausted with the way his life had turned into after a few years ago, because of his work.

The composer, Kim Hongjoong was doing great as usual, but the mega star known all over the world- Pyeonghongman, became a secret too big to hold onto for any longer. It became too hard to keep people from knowing the truth, and in the end Hongjoong couldn't stop the people from figuring out the truth.

Soon the news of Hongjoong being Pyeonghongman began to spread, and Hongjoong had to say goodbye to his regular life.

It all began when he got the opportunity to compose a song for a popular rising american singer, and he just couldn't say no to the offer. He composed the song as Pyeonghongman, and it did great. So great that people all over the world became interested. Too interested. Soon the truth was put on the table, and Hongjoong found himself in the same situation that happened a few years ago. He, Hongjoong, was being recognized for his work, and he didn't like it one bit.

These days Hongjoong has stayed low in the music industry. He didn't really have a choice.

He was seen in the news almost everyday, and sometimes even his family. He had to do something about the situation, or actually, do the exact opposite. He disappeared for a few months, hoping that it would calm the situation down.

And it did, for that couple months. But it came back once Hongjoong released his new work again. He then quit for a while again. Rinse and repeat.

It was exhausting to himself, his family and the company. He felt bad for keeping the company from getting work done, but he felt more bad for when he did work and it had effects on his personal life and family.  
These days Hongjoong liked to work from home whenever he had the chance, and he visited the company studio only a few times a week. During those visits to the studio he liked to hide away from everyone, especially the boss. But the elder always found him at the end of the day.

'Maybe you should agree to do an interview.' He usually suggested.

Hongjoong always shook his head. 'I don't want to be seen in the media anymore than I already am. This is too much for me to handle already.'

He shook his head. 'I told you about this in the beginning, Hongjoong.' He spoke. 'I told you that it would only take a moment for people to start wondering. You had all the time in the world to come up with a plan, but you haven't. So I am presenting you with one.'

Hongjoong bit his lip.

'Just one interview. That's all you need to do.' His boss reminded him of the deal, spinning in his chair.

'Just one?' Hongjoong whispered and his boss slowly nodded his head.

Hongjoong bit the inside of his cheek nervously as his boss waited for an answer. In the end Hongjoong didn't say yes, nor did he say no. He promised to think about it, and tell Seonghwa about it first before he would promise to do anything. Because in the end this was something that would have an effect on Seonghwa as well. As he was sure the interview would be about him as well, because people were very curious about their relationship as it apparently was such an unusual match. Also, their kids were very interesting- which Hongjoong didn't understand why. They were just a regular family to him, but not in most people's eyes.

Hongjoong didn't bring up the topic when he came home and they all sat down for dinner. Hongjoong didn't bring it up until a whole week later, when his boss started asking questions. This wasn't something that he could run away from, apparently.

'A talk show interview?' Seonghwa questioned Hongjoong as the other told him what he had on his mind. Seonghwa put the volume of the tv a bit quieter as Hongjoong sat next to him. Usually he would hate it if anyone would interrupt his alone time that he got after the kids had gone to bed, and before he'd have to go asleep as well because of work. But he liked to make a few exceptions time to time.

'Yeah.' Hongjoong laughed as he looked at the tv screen. It was some show about a rich family living in America, and Hongjoong didn't understand why the other found the show so interesting.

'My boss said it would help with the... situation.' Hongjoong murmured and Seonghwa nodded his head. Seonghwa had leaned his neck back against the pillows comfortably, hand resting against his slightly swollen tummy.

'I guess it could.' He spoke, turning his head away from the screen. 'Do you know what show it would be?'

Hongjoong shrugged his shoulders. 'I don't know, some witch singer guy from Jeju who has his own show on KBS-'

'Oh my god, is it the 'Boo Show?'' Seonghwa spoke, voice a bit too loud. He too noticed this and lowered his voice. 'If it's the 'Boo Show', then you have to do it.'  
Hongjoong blinked a few times.

'I'm not going to go and reveal everything about myself just because you like the show, Seonghwa.'

'But your boss said it could help?' Seonghwa smiled as Hongjoong sighed. 'You also could get me his autograph.'

'You're not helping.' Hongjoong whined and sunk deeper into the couch. He crossed his arms and sighed, before turning to look at Seonghwa.

'Think about it.' He began. 'Would you be okay with the questions being asked about you and possibly our kids as well? I surely wouldn't be...'

Seonghwa thought for a moment. 'Aren't there those pre-recorded interviews?' He asked and Hongjoong began thinking about it. Yeah, there was, actually. 'Maybe you could do one of those, and answer only the questions that you feel like answering.'

'I don't know. I still don't like the idea. I feel like people will just get more and more involved in what I do.'

'The people are just curious.' Seonghwa said, and he was right. 'They know literally nothing about you, and that's what makes you so interesting to them. Once you tell them, they don't have anything to look for anymore. They will lose interest and hopefully, the situation will die out a bit.'

There literally were so many articles about Hongjoong that it was ridiculous. The topics were also stupid. About his sexuality, personality, work- and everything possible. People fought for almost a year on if he was a human or not, and Hongjoong honestly doesn't know what the end result of that fight was. He has never spoken on his race or anything else personal, and that was probably why people began talking about it so much. They just wanted answers.

'Yeah.' Hongjoong murmured. 'Maybe I should do it. Thank you, Seonghwanie.'

Seonghwa smiled and kissed the other. 'No need to thank me.'

'Now shut up so I can watch this show.'

*

'Why on earth did I ever even start working out if I'll just gain the weight back when I get knocked up again?' Seonghwa groaned as he looked through his clothing, having to search for bigger pants.

'Uhm, excuse me?' Hongjoong laughed, pretending to be offended. '”Getting knocked up” I believe it was you who wanted another baby even in the first place, so should you really be complaining?' Hongjoong joked, knowing Seonghwa wouldn't get hurt by his comment. He was right. Seonghwa threw a pair of pants on his face instead, pushing off his hat.

'Meanie.' Seonghwa pouted. 'I knew you wouldn't comfort me because you like it when i'm chubbier. This was your plan all along, to get me pregnant again so you could enjoy all 'this'.' He spoke as he slapped his behind.

Hongjoong laughed and hugged the other. 'You know I love you no matter what you look like. You're always handsome, perfect, sexy...'

'Stop right there, Kim Hongjoong.' Seonghwa smirked and escaped from his grip. He laughed at the smiled Hongjoong had on his lips. He could never get bored of seeing that ear to ear grin, even when he saw it daily.

Seonghwa felt that grin against his own lips as he pressed theirs together for a quick peck.

'Love you.' Seonghwa spoke, his minty breath tickling Hongjoong's skin.

Mingi screamed as he saw the scene, before running back into the hallway. Hongjoong and Seonghwa laughed before seeing where he had run off, finding him in his, Yunho’s and Yeosang's room.

'It is gross!' Mingi claimed once Seonghwa and Hongjoong asked what made him scream out like that.

Yeosang nodded his head silently as he watched his brother fake like he was gagging.

'But we kiss you guys all the time?' Hongjoong asked, laughing at the fact that Mingi was making such a big deal about it.

'That's different.' He spoke. 'It's because you are our parents. You shouldn't be kissing like that, because it is gross.' He continued, voice rambling and fast.

'Why is it gross?' Seonghwa asked, sitting down on the low small bed, pulling Mingi to sit on his lap.

'Because there are cooties.' Mingi whispered. Seonghwa ignored the way Hongjoong almost choked on his own spit at their son's words.

Seonghwa should have known that Mingi had heard of the term used to keep the boys away from the girls somewhere by now. Probably from preschool. He found the fact that the term used between girls and boys was used on Hongjoong and himself pretty funny, in a way. It was pretty clear who Mingi thought was the 'girl in the relationship.' Hongjoong tried to hold in his laughter, but failing. Seonghwa squinted his eyes at the younger one.

'Mingi, just because your father has pink hair, doesn't mean he is a girl, okay?' Hongjoong stopped laughing immediately.

*

'San, we have ice cream at home.' Seonghwa murmured as the youngest one leaned against the freezers in the store. His face was pressed up against the glass, making it all grimy with his saliva. Seonghwa let out a groan as he lifted the toddler up, feeling how big he had gotten. San giggled as he held onto Seonghwa's neck. Wooyoung sat in the seat in the shopping cart, looking up at his little brother with jealousy. 

Seonghwa had to handle him kicking him in the thighs for the rest of the shopping trip because he was having a temper tantrum. Yeosang silently walked next to them, his hands inside his pockets. Keeping an eye on Mingi who sometimes wondered somewhere when he wasn’t paying attention. He also helped Seonghwa get the groceries from the lower shelves, as Seonghwa couldn't reach it because he was holding onto San, who had just discovered he could try to sneak some candy in the cart with his tail. Wooyoung , the good brother that he was, would try to distract Seonghwa so San would succeed with his plan, but Yunho always told them, finding their reaction funny.

Seonghwa sighed when they got into the car. There was no way he could do this anymore, not alone. It was the weekend, and Hongjoong was busy with work for the next few days. He would be having his interview soon, and he was stressing out about it a lot.

Then there was Mingi and Yunho’s birthday coming soon, as well as them going to school. Seonghwa also had a few meetings with his doctor about his pregnancy coming up. Wooyoung also needed to go visit the doctors because his stomach has been acting weirdly again. He probably had developed a new allergy, as kids had the habit of doing so at a young age. Seonghwa just hoped that Wooyoung would also get over his allergies like most kids did when he would get older.

So, you could say things were getting pretty busy in the Kim family.

*

'God, i'm old.' Seonghwa sighed and rubbed his face.

Mingi blinked his eyes at his Dad's odd sudden reaction as he wore his school uniform for the first time. He looked at the uniform with his mouth in a tight line.

'I can't believe my babies are already going to school.' Seonghwa murmured and Mingi squinted his eyes at the word 'baby'.

‘We aren’t little babies anymore Daddy!’ Yunho exclaimed, attempting to put on his own shoes without help. 

Hongjoong smiled at the scene in front of him as he waited with Yeosang for Seonghwa to put on Mingi's new shoes properly. He still needed a little more help than Yunho. Today was their first day of school, and they weren’t nervous at all. Just because they got to ride with Hongjoong, finally.

'Soon you'll be 35, then you'll truly feel old.' Hongjoong smirked as Seonghwa threw a mean look at him. He probably shouldn't bully the other, when he could literally start crying at any given moment because of his hormones.

Hongjoong heard him murmur something along the lines of; 'Soon you'll be dead, then you'll truly regret what you said.' Mingi looked terrified as he watched his shoes being tied.

'There. Done.' Seonghwa sighed as he finished dressing Mingi. Both Mingi and Yunho looked at Seonghwa with big eyes as they were pulled into a hug. Seonghwa held onto them tightly, hearing a whine from Mingi, before letting go. 'Promise me that you'll behave yourself.’' Seonghwa spoke, feeling nervous as Yunho picked up his brand new backpack and put it on. He looked adorable.

'We will.' Both boys said in sync and then smiled, waving at Seonghwa as they left while grabbing onto Hongjoong's hand, Yeosang walking next to them.

Seonghwa felt relieved that Mingi and Yunho weren’t scared to go to school for the first time but acted like big boys. Yeosang hadn't taken it so easily when he first started school. There were tears and screams as he had to leave the first day, and he was clearly upset about it for the next few weeks as he got used to the new place.

Though, in a weird way Seonghwa also felt like the twins were taking this way too well. They should have been at least a bit nervous, and missed Seonghwa. He felt like they didn't need him anymore, which was stupid as the kid’s were just 6 years old. God, Seonghwa still remembered it like yesterday when they were born. How did years move along so fast all of a sudden?

Wooyoung had already turned 4, San soon followed him. Yeosang was already 7 years old and Seonghwa was already 5 months pregnant, already halfway through his pregnancy. Time seemed to be moving so fast recently. He loved seeing all his boys growing up, but it felt like it was all happening too fast. Soon they would be teenagers and leave home.

Seonghwa knew he was over thinking and exaggerating, but he couldn't help it. Every day something would change, like the fact that San no longer needed to use diapers during the night or how Mingi learned how to read, or how Wooyoung was learning on how to tie his shoes, and how Yeosang had started to learn English in school. How was all that possible? They were babies just a moment ago.

Seonghwa honestly doesn't know why he keeps getting himself in these situations.

'No more after this.' He'd say after giving birth to their sons. Hongjoong would agree and nod his head. He would also say how Seonghwa was lying, and he wouldn't believe him.

Seonghwa was always, like, 99 percent sure that that was it. That their family was complete, and that there was no need to go through this long process ever again. That 1 percent of disbelief was the reason behind every one of their kids after Yeosang. Seonghwa couldn't help it. He had mad baby fever, and it was kinda ridiculous. He liked to blame Hongjoong who could never say no to him.

Seonghwa felt bad for going through another pregnancy. He was already a father of five, which was kind of a big number already. He was 34, soon turning 35. He hates the word, but he's exactly that- old. Seonghwa is getting older.

He tries not to think about it too much, but the thought always comes back to him even if he wouldn't want to. At his age, there are many risks that he was taking while getting pregnant, the biggest one being the baby's health.

So, before actually even thinking about having this child, Seonghwa had met up with his doctor. And luckily, he got the okay from him. So, Seonghwa and Hongjoong began trying for their last child in his next heat. And they didn't need to wait any longer, as he became pregnant the first try.

Compared to his previous pregnancies this one was much more uncomfortable for Seonghwa. The baby had begun to move during its 4th month of pregnancy, and the movement was a lot by now, which was good for the baby but not so much for Seonghwa.

He couldn't sleep very well and he was experiencing symptoms like an upset stomach and nausea almost weekly, always ending up throwing up at least once or twice. He also seemed to be gaining a lot of weight already, and he was sure he wouldn't stop until this baby was born. He could say goodbye to his firm thighs that he worked on for all those years after having Wooyoung .

He had never been able to get rid of the stretchmarks on him that he got from Yeosang. They kept on getting bigger and deeper in color whenever he had another baby and another one. Having Yunho and Mingi really did a lot to his body. He used to be a bit on the edge about the marks, as he wished he could just have clear skin like he used to have. But now he loves them. Hongjoong always has as well.

They remind him of the hardship that he went through in order to have their family.

The ones on his thighs would remind him of the way his legs would ache and hurt daily at the very end of his pregnancy, and how he was having trouble walking because of the extra weight on him.  
The ones on his waist would remind him of the pain that happened during the delivery, that lasted for hours and hours.

The biggest ones circling around his stomach reminded him of the huge size his stomach would always swell into, and how it felt like having his skin stretch and stretch in order to make room for the new life inside of him.

He would never get rid of those scars even if he could, as they have such a deep meaning to him.

*

'I told you he wouldn't be able to stay up.' Hongjoong laughed as he pulled on San to place him better on his lap. He had just fallen asleep as they waited for Hongjoong's interview to start on tv. San was laying stomach first on Hongjoong's chest, his head against his shoulder. He also was sucking on his tail, but switched onto his thumb once Hongjoong pulled his tail away from him. Drool began to soon pool against Hongjoong’s shirt, but he didn’t mind.

Seonghwa let out a small puff of air as he maneuvered himself to lay down onto the couch, resting his head against the pillows. Hongjoong’s hand automatically made its way to rest against his stomach that was not much more visible due to its size. Seonghwa didn’t move his hand, letting it stay there as he reached for their son. 

'I know.' Seonghwa smiled and stroked San’s hair, fingers tugging gently at his black cat ears. 'I didn't have the heart to say no, once he heard that you'll be on tv. But I knew he wouldn't be able to stay awake through it.'

Hongjoong carefully got up with San in his arms and took him to his and Wooyoung's room. The older of the two had already gone to bed hours ago, not finding the fact that his father would be on tv even a little bit interesting. Yeosang and Mingi wanted to watch, but they had school. So Seonghwa and Hongjoong promised to show them the show some other time from online.

Hongjoong let out a sigh of relief as he got San into his bed without him waking up and getting mad, probably waking up Wooyoung as well who slept in the bed next to him. He quickly tucked San into bed, gave him a kiss and one for Wooyoung as well, and then quietly left the room.

When he got back to the living room downstairs, the show had already begun. He could hear the now familiar voice of the cheery host of the show, that was apparently very popular at the moment. Hongjoong wouldn't know, he didn't watch at least 4 hours of tv every day, like Seonghwa somehow managed to fit in his life.

'Good evening!' The host greeted the live audience, giving them a pause to clap and cheer as he waved for the cameras and cringely winked at the main camera. 'I am your host of the night, Boo Seungkwan, and this is the 'Boo Show!' And the crowd went crazy, Seonghwa grinning like an idiot as Hongjoong rolled his eyes next to him.

'Tonight, we have a very special guest.' The host spoke in a way that made the crowd make a curious voice. 'The one, the only- the mysterious- Composer Pyeonghongman!' He revealed and the crowd gasped on que. God, this show was so fake. If Hongjoong would have said that out loud- Seonghwa would have hit him right there with that pillow he was holding onto.

Hongjoong just decided to be quiet and cross his arms as he slowly sunk deeper into the couch cushions.

'Yes, that is correct.' The host continued. 'This is actually going to be the composer's first ever interview. And you might be thinking to yourself- how on earth did we manage to get him into our studio?' The crowd made a noise and the host nodded his head as he laughed. 'Well, we didn't- that's the thing. We came to him.'

'They make it sound like i'm some royalty that made all these weird requests in order to be interviewed by them-' Hongjoong was cut off by Seonghwa hushing him.

'He would not agree to come and do the interview live, so it was prerecorded in the KQ studios.' He continued, walking slowly to the side as the camera followed him. He stopped next to a tv, where there was a slideshow of different paparazzi pictures taken of Hongjoong. 'What you are about to see, is the musical genius who has been blessing the whole world with his work for the past 10 years- finally speak for himself for the first time.' The crowd cheered as there was a dramatic zoom into the tv screen before it changed completely, beginning to show the pre recorded interview inside one of the KQ studio rooms. Hongjoong took a deep breath and bit the inside of his cheek. Seonghwa could notice him being nervous and reached for his hand between them.

'I am here- inside the continuously growing entertainment company KQ, and joining me is the brain behind all this fame- Kim Hongjoong-shi, Pyeonghongman.' Then the screen switched to show Hongjoong, who was sat in the chair opposite of the interviewer. Seonghwa felt like scolding him for wearing those black sunglasses that almost covered half of his face, but he understood that the other must have been so nervous while doing the interview that he wanted to cover himself.

'Hello, I am Kim Hongjoong.' Hongjoong smiled slightly and bowed for the camera, the host clapped his hands for a moment.

'Wow.' He then laughed. 'I don't know really where to start! Our whole team were so surprised to find out that you agreed to our plea for an interview- is this truly the first one you have ever done?'

'Ah, yes.' Hongjoong crossed his legs and held onto his knee. 'This is my first time being interviewed. And I was surprised that I said yes as well.' He laughed.

'What made you change your mind in the end?'

'Well, it seems like things have really gotten outta hand when it comes to my personal life. People became way too nosy, and that started to have effects on my work and personal life. With some help, I figured that maybe I should just clean this all up a bit and answer some questions so people could stop asking and trying to figure out things by themselves.'

The host nodded his head as he looked through his papers. 'What might some of those things be, that people started questioning?'

Hongjoong let out a breathy laugh. 'God, where do I even start...'

Hongjoong found it weird that he was even watching a whole episode of some show on the tv, but watching a whole episode dedicated to himself- that was weird as hell. And the fact that he managed to watch through it all just fine was even weirder.

They got through pretty much everything Hongjoong wanted to get out there.

From the very first scandals he had back in the day of stealing some other composers work- to the recent rumors of him quitting his job. They weren't true, surprise.

Then became the questions about his personal life. At points the questions became too hard to answer and they just skipped over them. But Hongjoong was satisfied with what he got to say in the end.

'This is one of the most frequently asked questions we have about you, and I think answering it will clear many other questions as well.' The host smiled. 'Now, I already know the answer to this as a witch myself- but the people who have not met you in real life want to know- what are you?'

Seonghwa had told Hongjoong that witches couldn't sense a person's race the same way as werewolves, hybrids and vampires did, which was by smelling, as they had some other way to find out. It seemed like Seungkwan figured it out already.

'I am a human.' Hongjoong smiled.

'Well there you go people.' The host spoke to the camera. 'Kim Hongjoong is in fact a human, so no need to believe in other rumors anymore.' Hongjoong nodded his head.

'Also a question asked often- if you do not mind me asking- what is the race of your husband? Just if some people are confused.'

Hongjoong had asked Seonghwa if it would be alright answering questions like this one, and the other was more than fine with it. He actually wanted to get his name out there, as a fan of the show. They even talked with the kids if it was okay to mention them if it was necessary.

'Seonghwa is a omega werewolf.' Hongjoong answered simply.

'Hmm, a odd couple, huh? Was it hard at first when you got together? When did you get together actually?' Hongjoong hummed and moved in his chair.

'We met each other around 12 years ago.' Seungkwan made a sound under his breath.

'And you have been together ever since?' Hongjoong knew he was indicating towards those rumors a few years back when people thought he was having a relationship with this one other composer under another company, when in fact they were just working together for a project. Even Seonghwa found the rumors stupid.

'Yes, we haven't left each other's side ever since.' Hongjoong smiled. It didn't even mind him that at some point he had removed his sunglasses. 'We have been married for almost 9 years now.'  
'As a mixed race couple, was there a lot of disagreement from your parents when this relationship began?'

Hongjoong let out a small laugh. 'Oh, yes there were. Not so much from Seonghwa's side of the family, but mine did. They had a very hard time getting used to it at first, but are totally supportive right now. Especially because of the kids.'

'Ah that is correct, that was the next question I had prepared!' Seungkwan laughed and hopped over a page in his script. 'You have a family together, that people are curious about. Would you like to tell us all something about your family that you started together?'

'Well, we decided to start a family together 7 years ago, and somehow ended with six sons and another one on its way.' Hongjoong laughed and bowed as Seungkwan congratulated him.

They spoke about some other things in the end that didn't matter that much anymore. Hongjoong already said all that he needed to. With all these questions that had been answered, hopefully the media would finally spot reading into his personal life so much and just focused on his work that he'd be putting out.

He truly hoped that people would give him a break, and most importantly- stop being so goddamn nosy.

  
For the first few weeks, nothing really changed. The reporters and paparazzi still tried to hunt Hongjoong down, hungry for some new information regarding his interview. And Hongjoong really began to regret doing the interview, as things didn't seem to change.

He was at the verge of starting another hiatus, as he noticed the lack of a few paparazzi one morning. Then the next day, there were a few more who didn't show up. By the end of the month- they didn't show up at all.

That day when Hongjoong got to his studio, he searched for his boss and hugged him tightly.

*

'Oh honey I know.' Seonghwa cooed at Wooyoung as the toddler pushed the plate on the table away once again. He whined and moved around in his chair, trying to leave without eating. He looked over to San who had already finished eating, and was playing in the living room. He wanted to join him, but couldn't because Seonghwa wouldn't let him.

'You have to eat all of it before going.' Seonghwa reminded him and took a bite of his own food. Wooyoung crossed his arms and pouted, dried tears staining his face from crying before. Hongjoong reached out and tried to remove the stains, but only made Wooyoung more annoyed and he pushed his arm away.

'Maybe we should take him to the doctors again.' Hongjoong murmured as he looked through Mingi's homework that he had just finished all by himself. Yunho sat next to his brother silently and patiently, waiting for his turn to show Hongjoong his book.

Wooyoung looked at the two with an annoyed expression, clearly not liking what they were talking about. He hated visiting the doctors.

'Maybe.' Seonghwa murmured. 'San needs to get his new shots as well, so maybe I should take them together.' Hongjoong nodded his head and took a sip of his orange juice.

It was necessary that hybrids take all these shots while they are growing up, as there is a high chance of them developing illnesses and all kinds of things without them because of humans. Their immunity system was built different, and they could catch a virus or a disease from a human that was harmless to them, but dangerous for a hybrid.

'I also have a doctors appointment coming up soon.' Seonghwa reminded Hongjoong. 'It's a ultrasound check up.'

Hongjoong asked the date and time, and made sure that he would get to come with him. Seonghwa has had the same doctor for all these years, Doctor Choi. He has also been taking care of Yeosang, and all the other kids- except for San- since birth. He also was there were all of them were delivered, and he'd be there for their sixth one as well.

When Seonghwa had his appointment with doctor Choi, they talked about the delivery. The question of where they would like the delivery to happen was presented. He and Hongjoong had thought about it before, and came to the conclusion of having the baby at home. As they never did it before, but had all of their kids at the hospital.

The thought of giving birth at home had made Seonghwa feel quite uneasy at first, but he warmed up to the thought after a while. He wanted to experience it at least once in his life, and this was probably the last time he could do it, so why not?

So, they made the deal, and everything would be ready when the baby was ready to arrive. All they'd have to do once Seonghwa goes into labor after his heat is call doctor Choi, and then he and his crew will show up with all the equipment. And hopefully this delivery will go much more comfortably now that Seonghwa gets to be at home through it all.

That day Wooyoung and San also visited the doctors. Wooyoung met with doctor Choi and there wasn't anything wrong with him, luckily. He had grown a few centimetres from the last time they met, and he had gained a few kilos as well. He was still a bit smaller than the average 4 year old, but he was still growing. He had no new allergies, but he hadn't managed to get rid of his older ones either.

San was such a good boy, and got his updated shots from his own doctor. Doctor Lee, who was a cat hybrid herself. He didn't even cry, only whined a bit as the third shot hurt his arm a bit. Hongjoong was there next to him, holding onto his other arm, cheering him on all the time. He promised to buy him his favorite candy once they left home.

Once in the car, San and Wooyoung asked to see the picture of the baby that was taken during the ultrasound. They fought for the picture, before Hongjoong made them hold it together between them.

San and Wooyoung really didn't understand the whole baby thing yet. They understood that there would be a baby coming into their family, and that they would become big brothers, but they didn't know where babies came from.

Seonghwa had explained to them that the baby was inside his tummy, and even let the boys feel the baby move, but they didn't really get it. They just thought that Seonghwa was getting chubby, and liked to laugh about it pretty often whenever Seonghwa would complain about it.

  
'The baby can have this.' Mingi spoke and proceeded to give Seonghwa his old t-shirt that had gotten too small for him. It was originally Yeosang's and right now it would probably fit San, but if Mingi wanted to give it to the baby, then that was alright.

'Thank you Mi-mi.' Seonghwa smiled and took the shirt, folding it against his chest before putting it in the small closet in the nursery. The nursery hadn't been used in a few years, as San and Wooyoung got their own room. So the room was quite a mess right now, with all kinds of things put in it almost like a storage place. They needed to clean it before it was ready for the baby.

'How many days until the baby gets here?' Yunho asked as he put his hand against Seonghwa's stomach. He loved to feel the baby move whenever they did move, which was pretty often. He also sometimes liked to talk to his stomach, as he had seen Hongjoong do it sometimes. He was shy about it at first, and Seonghwa thought it was the cutest thing ever. Now he talked to his stomach almost daily, sharing stuff from school and other things that he had in his mind. He could not wait for the baby to arrive already.

Seonghwa was so relieved that Yunho took this all so well. He was a happy sunshine boy, who was nice to everyone and loved his family more than anything. But he didn't deal with change that well. Going to school was a bit hard at first as well. He liked going there the first day, but as he realized that he needed to go there every day- he didn't like that much.

'A few months, actually.' Seonghwa spoke and continued to run his fingers through Yunho’s hair.

Yunho hummed back and lifted his head up. 'How come San came so quickly?' He then asked, probably remembering when his youngest brother had first arrived. He didn't seem to remember that much from Wooyoung, and when Seonghwa was expecting him.

Seonghwa blinked a few times. 'Well, San had already arrived a few weeks before he came to us. He was all ready, waiting for us to take him into our family.' Yunho looked like he was thinking about it, his hand still against Seonghwa's stomach.

'He was inside someone else's belly?' Yunho then asked. Seonghwa was a bit taken back, as he hadn't thought that Yunho would like to know about things like this quite yet. He should have spoken with Hongjoong before on how they should explain to Yunho what adoption meant.

'Yes, he was.' Seonghwa spoke, changing his position in the armchair and pulling Yunho to sit on his lap. 'He was growing inside of someone else's belly just like the baby is growing inside of me right now.'  
'Is that why he is a cat?' Seonghwa let out a small laugh.

'Yes, that is why he is a cat hybrid.' Seonghwa explained and brushed his finger against Yunho's nose, making him laugh.

Seonghwa then turned a bit more serious. 'Yunho, have you ever heard people talking about adoption in school?' He asked the other and Yunhoi shook his head. 'That means when you take someone into your family, and they become a part of that family.' He began to explain and Yunho watched with big eyes.

'San was kinda alone, and needed a family. So me and your father decided that we want to have him in our family. So he could have us as his parents, and you guys as his brothers. There was a reason why he couldn't be with his old family, but he now has us. And that's all that matters.'

Yunho looked at Seonghwa for a moment, not even blinking. Then he suddenly wrapped his arms around Seonghwa's neck. 'I am happy that you adopted him. I love him.'

Seonghwa stayed still for a moment, before returning the hug. He closed his eyes and held onto Yunho for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he saw Hongjoong smile at the two of them from the doorway.

*

'I have to make a presentation about our family at school.' Mingi told on the dinner table after school. He played with one of his chopsticks, poking food on the plate with it.

'Do you have an idea on how to do it?' Hongjoong asked as Mingi gave him the assignment from school. It was the same one that Yeosang had to do last year as well. They went to the same school, after all.  
It was a multiracial school, where everyone could go to, as the teachers knew how to deal with every possible race like werewolves, vampires, hybrids, fairies... Hongjoong specially wanted that their kids would go to a school like that, as he didn't get to experience it himself when he was young. Seonghwa thought so as well.

When Yeosang had to do his presentation, he took a few pictures with him and wrote down on a small paper what he wanted to share with his class room. He felt like he didn't need to prepare much, and he didn't really feel like telling his classmates about his family anyways. In the end this was all just so the kids could know more about each other and make friends, but Yeosang wasn't that interested in such things.

'I can help you with it.' Yeosang reminded Mingi and sent him a small smile. Mingi slowly nodded his head and lowered his shoulders. Seonghwa could see that something was bothering him.

He reached over and moved the spoon out of San's tails grip and made him use his hand instead, receiving a pout from him as he did so. 'Is something bothering you, Mingi?' He asked and looked over at him.  
'Not really.' He sighed and Hongjoong's lips curved into a small smile, because he really looked like Seonghwa when he sighed like that.

'I just feel like the other kids will... find our family weird.' Mingi confessed, sinking into his seat and lowering his gaze into the floor. Hongjoong and Seonghwa went quiet for a moment.

'That isn't important.' Yeosang suddenly spoke. All six pairs of eyes turned to look at him as he spoke. 'It doesn't matter what they think.' He repeated himself, looking down at his food. 'When I did my presentation, some kids said some not-nice things as well, but it didn't bother me. It shouldn't bother you either.'

God, sometimes Hongjoong and Seonghwa forgot that he was only 7 years old. The kid was smart.

'How do you not let it bother you?' Hongjoong asked, honestly curious.

Yeosang moved in his seat a bit, playing with his fingers nervously. 'You just remember that you love your family, no matter what other people might say.' He said, like it was something so obvious and clear to everyone- when in fact some people had trouble remembering it.

Seonghwa lowered his gaze to the table and felt like cursing- because goddammit he wasn't going to cry. He tried to suck those tears back inside his eyelids somehow before Wooyoung saw him cry, as the small boy didn't like to see other people crying, because he'd end up crying as well. To Seonghwa's horror- as he looked over to Wooyoung sitting next to him- his bottom lip was already quivering and his eyes were filling up with tears, some already falling from the corners of his eyes.

Wooyoung dramatically closed his eyes and opened his mouth in a silent cry, before his voice followed with a loud cry. Seonghwa hurriedly got up and took some tissues, trying to calm the other down. It was no use.

'I-i love you too, Yeosang h-hyung!' Wooyoung gasped between harsh breaths as Seonghwa tried to dry his tears. In the end he gave up, sat back down in his seat and began to cry as well.

Hongjoong and Yeosang laughed together at the scene, Hongjoong patting Yeosang on the back.

Mingi and Yunho looked at San with a confused expression, as he didn't understand why everyone was suddenly crying.

San sneakily let go off his spoon and used his tail to move the spoon instead- smirking when Seonghwa didn't notice because he was too busy drying his tears.

Hongjoong looked at the scene in front of him with a gentle smile. This baby would have no idea what kind of a family it would be born into.

*

'This is for Wooyoungie. As an apology for not making it to his birthday.' Junyoung shyly said and placed down the poorly packaged gift. Wooyoung would probably not care what it looked like, as he'd rip through the packaging in a few seconds to get to the present.

'And this one is for Sanie, as I can't make it to his birthday either.' Junyoung murmured and slid another present across the table. Hongjoong nodded his head, understanding.

'That's alright, you didn’t need to get anything.' He smiled. 'They do miss you though.' He added and placed the packages near his bag so he'd remember to take them with him. He and Junyoung were currently inside a small restaurant, eating some dinner.

Junyoung had been working abroad for a few years now, going from one country to another, always coming back to Korea only on special occasions. Hongjoong understood that he couldn't always make it, like on the kids birthdays. But he missed him a lot.

'I know.' Junyoung sighed. 'I miss those boys as well. They are doing okay? What about Seonghwa, he still pregnant?'

Hongjoong laughed and put down his glass. 'Yes, he is still pregnant. Nothing popped out early.' Junyoung just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. 'The boys are okay as well. Mingi and Yunho started school not too long ago, and he is enjoying it.' Junyoung nodded his head.

'How is Claudia? She is with you here in Korea?' Hongjoong asked, curious to know whether Junyoung has managed to keep the relationship that the two started a few years ago.

Junyoung met Claudia while he was working in Romania. The two met in a pub meant specifically for vampires, and have been together ever since- sometimes breaking up, but somehow always coming back together.

'She is back in Romania. I didn't have the heart to drag her in here just for 5 days and then travel back with another 30 hour flight.' He explained and Hongjoong nodded his head. That was understandable.  
'Still haven't asked the big question?' Hongjoong smirked as Junyoung groaned. He hated when people asked him about marriage.

'Don't you even start.' He warned Hongjoong. 'My parents have been breathing right into my ear for the past five years, so don't you start doing the same thing. Seriously- what is it with parents always wanting to get their kids to marry so quickly?'

'Mine didn't want that.'

'That's because they hated Seonghwa and you.' Junyoung spoke and Hongjoong almost choked on his drink.

'True.' Hongjoong choked out. 'But do you have to be so mean about it?' Junyoung just smirked and brought his glass up to his lips. The deep red blood staining his lips momentarily, before his tongue licked away the remains.

Junyoung had never learned to eat human food. He lived purely on blood, switching only between different human blood favors. Hongjoong used to think that it was weird, but right now it felt totally normal. It didn't bother him at all.

Junyoung had a really hard time getting into the school that he went to with Hongjoong. He had to cheat his way in, lying in many health tests, telling them he was a human. Staying in the school was even more difficult, because of obvious reasons.

Junyoung didn't eat human food. So many people thought he was weird for always hiding in his own dorm room on lunch breaks. Getting his own food was an even bigger challenge.

Escaping school- which wasn't allowed- to go and get some blood from a near store at night was risky. Also keeping that blood inside the dorm was something that he feared over daily. Teachers often looked through the students' stuff, and he would have been in so much trouble if the blood would have been found under his bed. Somehow he made it through those four years.

The world that they are living in is still very, very unfair. And Hongjoong never had to experience it himself. Only after meeting people like Junyoung and Seonghwa, did he realize how different things were for people who weren't humans.

The current world around them was built by humans, for humans.

Hongjoong would have never known how hard it was to get a good education, proper healthcare or a good job, because he was a human. He would have never known how all these things were almost impossible for non-humans, as they were pretty much always there for him as a human.

Now Hongjoong realizes how hard all these things are for non-humans.

He realized how much trouble Junyoung went through in order to get an education in business as a vampire in the human conquered industry. And how Seonghwa had to fight for the remaining places in schools that taught teachers.

How Seonghwa had to search for months until he found a doctor who knew enough about him and his race that he could treat him during his pregnancies. Or how long Hongjoong and Seonghwa had to look for a doctor who knew something about cat hybrids once San joined their family. It shouldn't be that hard to find a doctor for your child, but apparently it was when they weren't a human baby.

Hongjoong feared for his children's future.

He got stressed just thinking about them having to face the same hardships that Seonghwa did when he was young and becoming an adult. Even if they didn't turn into a werewolf when they turned older- they could have a partner in the future who went through the same as Seonghwa and others. They could have children of their own who weren't humans, and they'd have the same things in front of them. God, San would surely face these hardships and Hongjoong just couldn't believe what he would have to go through in the future. It wasn't fair.

They all, as individuals, still had a long way to go.

Hongjoong sometimes talked about these thoughts with Seonghwa, when he was just on the verge of falling asleep. He would have his eyes closed as he'd snuggle closer into Seonghwa's side, burying his face somewhere in Seonghwa's chest or neck. Seonghwa's arms would wrap around him, staying in the crook of his neck, stroking the skin.

Hongjoong would hum, sigh and then Seonghwa would ask him what was on his mind. It was always the same pattern.

Hongjoong would always tell him the same thing.

He was the over thinking type. He didn't think a day in advance- but years in advance. He had it all planned in his head, and sometimes he began questioning his plans. What if things didn't go as planned?  
Some would call it a midlife crisis, but then Hongjoong would have been having them since the age of 15. All this has been causing him countless headaches and a few grey hairs as well.

Seonghwa always told him not to worry over such things, and Hongjoong knew he was right. It was just so hard to not think. The future was just so unpredictable and he hated that. He wanted everything to be clear, so that nothing unexpected happened. But that was almost impossible in their family.

*

Seonghwa was glad that his wolf managed to wait for this long until having to build a nest.

When expecting Yeosang, he built the nest around the 7 month mark. With Mingi and Yunho, he had to build it a whole month earlier. He was just so restless throughout the whole pregnancy that he couldn't even sleep properly anymore.

With Wooyoung , Seonghwa had to build the nest only a few weeks before he was born. Somehow he didn't get the need to build one until then. So it was kinda weird getting the need to build one again after such a long time.

Yeosang looked from his room as he saw Seonghwa and Hongjoong carry all these pillows and blankets into their bedroom. He recognized this, as he remembered all the times Seonghwa had to build a nest. Whether he was pregnant or after his heats. He grabbed the extra pillows from his, Yunho’s and Mingi's beds and ran after them.

Yeosang found werewolves interesting. He had learned a lot about them from Seonghwa, his grandpa and from school as well. He was taught only the basics at school, but he learned more by asking from Seonghwa.

Seonghwa noticed how he only asked about the alphas, and how they were different from Seonghwa who was an omega. He tried to not let it bother him that much, even though it did. A lot, actually.

Yeosang would get to help make the nest a little. He would mostly just watch with Hongjoong, and talk about whatever came into his head at the time. He would move a pillow, and feel proud when Seonghwa liked it's place and didn't want to move it again. He also liked the fact when Hongjoong told him he'd become the best at building nests when he'd grow up.

Yeosang didn’t care too much for the nest. Yunho and Mingi thought that the nest was a cool little thing, that was funny for like a day to play in- but they always slept in their own beds at the end of the day. San and Wooyoung wanted to share the nest every night, but some nights Seonghwa would have them sleep in their own room because he wanted Hongjoong all by himself.

Sure, there was a warm lovely feeling in his chest at his children sleeping in his nest, but sometimes that feeling was buried by the fact that there wasn't enough room and that the two were so loud when they slept.  
So some nights when Seonghwa was having trouble sleeping, and he was being kicked all around his stomach by their baby- he just likes to snuggle up against Hongjoong's chest in the nest. Feel his breath, heartbeat and touch as he held him closer. Seonghwa would find himself humming at the scent of his mate all over him, keeping him safe from everything.

*

'He has grown up so much.' Seonghwa's mother cooed as he picked up San to sit in her lap. San smiled widely and wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her tightly.

It was San's birthday. He'd be turning 4 the next week, but they decided to have the birthday party a week earlier, as Hongjoong couldn't really make it the next week because of work.

Usually Seonghwa hated holding parties in their house, because it was always a mess to organize them. But now that Seonghwa started his maternity leave he had all the time in the world when the kids were at school or in daycare- so he actually didn't mind cooking for so many people this time. It was almost relaxing in some weird way.

Seonghwa's parents arrived, as well as some of his other relatives- like Mina, Hansol and Jisoo. Hongjoong's parents came as well. Then there were some neighbors and San's friends who he knew from daycare.  
'You're all grownup already.' Seonghwa's father smiled as San reached for his arms, switching to sit in his lap instead.

'He is not a baby anymore.' Seonghwa nodded as his mother spoke. 'He's going to have to say goodbye to the role of being the baby of the family pretty soon.' She added.

San looked a bit hurt at her words. 'I am still a baby.' He pouted and held on tighter to his grandpa. Seonghwa let out a small laugh and reached to stroke San's head, his ears lowering as his hand went over them.  
San would always be his baby. Just like all the kids would be.

There had been some jealousy that could be sensed coming from Wooyoung and San. They clearly seemed upset whenever Seonghwa and Hongjoong talked about the new baby arriving soon. San seemed to be taking it worse than Wooyoung.

Yeosang had been the same when Mingi and Yunho came. He was confused and a bit sad at first. He clearly no longer got all the attention from Seonghwa and Hongjoong that he got before his brothers arrived. But he got over it, and realized that he wasn't being forgotten. Things didn't really change that much for him in the end- he just got two brothers that he loved as much as Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

Seonghwa hoped that San and Wooyoung also realized the same things. He and Hongjoong would never forget neither of them, and would always love them just as much as the baby. Seonghwa and Hongjoong would remind them about that daily, just so they would never forget. It has seemed to work with Yeosang, Yunho and Mingi up to this day as well.

Seonghwa got to enjoy seeing his and Hongjoong's parents once again, as they had talked about a few things that made Seonghwa feel slightly uncomfortable around them. The whole betting around their kids future roles. He didn't like hearing about it.

He especially didn't want any of the kids to hear them say any of the things that they said, so they made a deal- that they wouldn't mention any of the things around Seonghwa and the kids. They could talk about it between themselves all they wanted, just as long as Seonghwa wouldn't have to hear about it someday.

Hongjoong's parents understood immediately, but Seonghwa's parents didn't get what the problem was at first.

'It is only natural that we wonder what they could turn into.' Seonghwa's mother had laughed as she tried to defend herself, looking at his husband for support.  
'Everyone does it.' He then added.

Seonghwa sighed and tried not to get too mad. 'I know, but I don't care.' He started. 'All I am asking is that you don't talk about it when I'm around- or the kids. It's not much that I'm asking from you.'

They went quiet for a while. 'You can't protect them from the turning forever, you understand that, right Seonghwa?' Seonghwa's mother then spoke. 'It is something that they need to know about before it happens as a complete surprise.'

'Do you think I don't know that?' Seonghwa had spat and Hongjoong became wary sitting next to him. He grabbed his hand in order to make him feel less stressed. Seonghwa noticed this and took a breath before continuing.

'I don't want them to worry about it at this age.' He confessed. 'God, Yeosang is only 7 and he already picked his favorite role which he wants. He is too young to be thinking about the roles already.' Seonghwa explained and everyone listened. Seonghwa could hear the kids scream as they played in the living room.

'I want to have proper conversations with them about turning when they are older, and much more wiser. They don't need to worry about it right now- because they are just kids. They don't need to throw their childhood away just yet because of the stress that comes with the thought of turning.'

Seonghwa's father nodded his head. His mother went quiet. Hongjoong's parents looked like they shouldn't even be hearing this conversation in the first place.

'Are you saying,' His mother then finally spoke. 'that it was a mistake from us to tell you when you were your age?' Her gaze seemed serious and cold, and his father didn't look that sympathetic either.  
'You could say so.' Seonghwa spoke and bit his lip.

Seonghwa first heard about turning when he was around 6 years old. He knew from the start that one day he'd become one of the three roles. He didn't think too much about it for the first few years, only talking about it with his cousins in a playful manner. They all said they would become alphas.

Then, when Seonghwa was around 8 years old, his parents began talking about it more. No- they warned him.

'The first heat can begin at any given point.'

'You can't tell it in advance.'

'It makes a big difference in your life.'

'You might not end up being an alpha.'

Seonghwa saw nightmares for years about turning, almost weekly. He felt so scared whenever he had a cold or an upset stomach- because he thought he had gone into his first heat. He feared that the day had come, and he'd turn.

He'd forget about it for a while, but then someone had to go and remind him about it.

Then his classmates started turning. And every year one of his cousins had already turned, and Seonghwa just nervously waited for his own turn. He didn't really enjoy his preteen years, as he was just this nervous lonely boy who was so anxious and scared of the future. It killed him knowing that his kids could go through the same.

Seonghwa didn't mean to disrespect his parents in any way. He just knew that he would want to do a few things differently when raising them, from how they raised him and his sister. He just hoped that his parents realized that, and understood that there were some things that he knew better than them. He was always open to help and suggestions- if he needed any.

'You know the best.' Seonghwa's father spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen in the room. 'Times have changed and the way that we raised you maybe isn't the best way these days anymore. In the end- as their father, you'll know what's the best for them.' He spoke to Seonghwa and pulled Seonghwa's quiet mother closer to himself.

'Thank you.' Seonghwa murmured and felt himself becoming more calm at the sight of his father smiling. His mother stayed quiet for a while. Seonghwa let her, not bothering to speak with her for a while. At the end of the day, she came back to him.

'Seonghwa.' She spoke as she made her way into the backyard where Seonghwa was at, enjoying the fresh air and not the sound of many kids screaming all at once. Seonghwa turned around and was met with his mother's warm embrace.

'I am so, so sorry.' She spoke, and Seonghwa could already hear that she was crying. He felt bad, and returned the hug, kinda awkwardly because of his stomach between them.  
They pulled away, but Seonghwa wouldn't let go of her hands.

'In a way, I always knew.' She spoke, choking between words. 'That I was unkind to you when you were growing up- so was your father.' She continued. 'But that was because of the way that we were brought up, and because of what our parents made us believe. It is not acceptable that we repeated the same things onto our own children- and I just want you to know that I am so proud of you for taking a different route.' Seonghwa listened quietly, and smiled.

'Thank you, mother.' He sighed, feeling his tears block his vision. 'I am not angry with you- at all. I am not also saying that it was okay, but I forgive you. I have never been mad or angry with you and dad, and I'll never be.' She smiled back and pulled him in for another hug again.

Seonghwa closed his eyes and let the tears fall.

Seonghwa's parents raised him and his sister, believing that there were things that they could do that would give them a better chance of getting a wanted role. In this case, the alpha role. They were told by their own parents all what they should do in order to have them turn into alphas, it involved different things like eating certain foods and even things as bathing in different herbs. It was stupid, but they believed in it.  
Seonghwa was told from a very young age to avoid fruits and everything spicy, as it would make him an omega in the future. He was also fed huge amounts of meat in hopes of it raising the chances of becoming an alpha.

When Seonghwa caught himself doing something wrong- something not alpha- he would find himself scared and crying in his room at night, because he had just accidentally ruined himself. Now, he would surely become an omega and it was all his fault.

When he turned, he truly blamed himself.

After they had all mourned the role Seonghwa had gotten, they got over it. Seonghwa's parents changed their way of seeing him, and came back into their senses. They realized that there was nothing that could have made Seonghwa any different, and that it was just something in his genes that made him turn. There was nothing that could have changed it, and that it was all just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. Seonghwa forgave them, and moved on. But Seonghwa will forever remember the harm and stress caused by the thought of turning, and he'll remember to not cause his children the same things.

*

Hongjoong found himself in the same situation once again. He was alone, taking care of 5 kids plus a tired Seonghwa who was pretty much bedridden because of the pregnancy. He was 100% sure that werewolves also had some powers that allowed them to move twice as fast and also had eyes at the back of their heads- because this was honestly impossible.

Yeosang was being good, probably just because he pitied Hongjoong for having to deal with his brothers all alone. He was doing his homework, like Hongjoong asked him to do, and after that he'd help him with the food.

Mingi was being a pain in the ass, running around everywhere, finding it funny when Hongjoong tried to chase him down to get his shoes off of him. Seonghwa would lose it when he would see the floor all full of small dirty footprints.

Yunho had gone outside into their backyard, probably to try and see their neighbors dog. Hongjoong had gotten him to come inside somehow after yelling at him through the bathroom window. The boy was now sulking in the living room. 

Wooyoung was whining in the living room, with all his clothes still on him as he wouldn't remove them alone. San on the other hand had removed all of his clothes and threw them in the kitchen, then proceeded to run after Mingi as well, enjoying it as the other yelled for him to leave him alone, 'you little naked man'.

Hongjoong stopped, out of breath. He weighed his chances. And came into the conclusion of helping Wooyoung , before he made things worse and began crying.

It seemed to be the right choice, as without him running after the two- Mingi and San also calmed down and stopped running. Hongjoong thanked every single god that he has ever heard of as San began putting on his clothes back just from one order.

Hongjoong sat on the floor in front of Wooyoung and tried to catch his breath. 'Your Dad is really amazing for doing this every day, you little rascal.' He sighed and let out a small laugh as Wooyoung just smiled at him sweetly.

'You could say that more often.'

Hongjoong's ears turned red as he watched Seonghwa walk- or rather waddle- down the stairs. He looked like he had just woken up from a nap, his hair everywhere and still in his pajamas. His stomach was truly huge, as he had reached the 9 month mark.

'i'll try to remember that.' Hongjoong smiled and got up with a small groan, his knee aching. Seonghwa smiled and called him an old man and he gave him a peck on the lips, Mingi screaming somewhere in the background after seeing the scene.

'There you go.' Seonghwa spoke as he pulled San's tail through the hole in his pants. San moved the extra limb in a circle, causing the water from it to fly onto Seonghwa. He giggled as Seonghwa glared at him.  
It was a big job to get through a regular day in the Kim family, but the bath days were an even bigger job.

Yeosang took usually a shower by himself, sometimes accompanying either Yunho or Mingi, but he didn't need Hongjoong or Seonghwa anymore. Mingi liked to be bathed, usually by Seonghwa. Yunho hated baths as they were scary somehow but agreed to shower well. Wooyoung and San hated bathing and showering. San, because of the water, and Wooyoung because he just didn't like it.

Usually San did like it in the end, and it became a fight to get him out of the bath. After that would begin the hour long process of getting him dry. He had long hair on his tail that took ages to dry, and the hair on his head was also much thicker than a humans. He would also smell a bit funny when he was still wet, but the scent would go away when he was dry.

Seonghwa always checked if he was fully dry by smelling his hair, and San always pushed him away with a laugh, saying that it tickled.

'Good night Sanie.' Seonghwa murmured as he tucked the other in his bed, giving him his favorite stuffed animal toy, a red fox. San brought it up to his chest and squeezed it tightly with his eyes closing. Seonghwa smiled and looked over to Wooyoung's bed, him sitting there waiting for his turn.

Seonghwa gave San a kiss before he moved to the other bed. Wooyoung smiled and laid down as Seonghwa took his blanket, covering him with it. Seonghwa picked up the toy turtle from the floor and gave it to Wooyoung , him grabbing onto it immediately.

'Good night Wooyoungie.' Seonghwa said and gave him a kiss as well. Wooyoung opened his big eyes and stared up at Seonghwa. Seonghwa smiled and poked at his cheek with his finger. 'What is it?' He asked, knowing he had something in his mind.

'Will the baby be here tomorrow?' He asked, and Seonghwa let out a laugh. This must have been the seventh night in a row when he asked him that question.

'I don't know Wooyoung.' He confessed, the younger seeming sad at the answer. 'Maybe you should ask the baby?' He then suggested, seeing Wooyoung light up again. He moved in his bed, getting up and Seonghwa sat on the free space next to him. Before he could even suggest- San already made his way next to him as well, wanting to speak with the baby as well.

Seonghwa lifted his sweater up so that the two could properly 'see' the baby and speak to it freely. San was the first one, placing his hand so, so gently onto his stomach- like Hongjoong had once taught him to do.

'Wooyoungie hyung wants you here already, baby.' San began, and Wooyoung joined him at the mention of his name. 'So does San- I heard him say that yesterday.' He hurriedly said, almost as if the baby was actually listening and that they would misunderstood what they were saying. Seonghwa could feel the cavities forming in his mouth because of all this cuteness.

'Daddy has been saying that you'll come out soon, but you still haven't.' Wooyoung then continued, lips forming into a slight pout. 'And I thought that maybe it's because you're shy.' San excitedly nodded his head in agreement.

'But you don't need to be shy.' Wooyoung then added. 'We are all here waiting for you. Me and San, as well as Yunho hyung, Mingi hyung and Yeosang hyung. Appa has been wanting to see you as well.' Wooyoung murmured, his fingers tapping at the smooth skin under his hand. Seonghwa loved his boys, and he loved seeing them so gentle and nice like this. They both had their moments, when they knew how to be properly and act like good boys. Seonghwa was always so happy when he got to be there when they did. The moment was so cute and lovely.

'And Daddy has been wanting you out as well, but because he is fat!' San then added and Seonghwa almost choked on his own spit.

'Alright, that's enough for tonight.'

*

Yeosang heard the voices speaking on the first floor before he even woke up. He was almost in a trance like state, still sleeping but still somehow awake. He tried to avoid the sounds and the light that came into the room from the crack of the door. He rolled over and tried to continue sleeping.

But in the end he couldn't. Because he kept having this uneasy feeling in his stomach, that was something that he had felt before. Yeosang got up and made sure not to wake up Mingi and Yunho as he opened the door a bit and fit through the crack. He closed the door slowly, so it wouldn’t make any loud sound.

He walked slowly along the hallway, noticing how Seonghwa and Hongjoong's bedroom door was open and neither of them were there. That was odd, he thought to himself. He walked to the stairs and peeked down to the first floor, not seeing anything but hearing the voices clearer. There was also a light on.

He heard Hongjoong talking to someone, but not Seonghwa. When he made it down the stairs- he realized that he was speaking on the phone.

'What's going on?' He asked, voice sleepy and whiny. Hongjoong hummed on the phone and walked to Yeosang, messing with his hair. 'I am talking with grandma and grandpa.' He explained, and Yeosang blinked a few times.

'At night?' He commented and Hongjoong let out a laugh.

'I know, i'm sorry for waking you up. But I really needed to call them to let them know about something.' Hongjoong explained and said his goodbyes to Seonghwa's parents, ending the call.  
'What?' Yeosang asked, still a bit confused about what was happening.

Hongjoong looked over to the living room, and now Yeosang finally noticed Seonghwa- who was sitting on the couch, with his head tilted and eyes closed as he was asleep. Hongjoong crouched down to Yeosang's level and held him by his shoulders.

'Yeosang-ah, your baby sibling is coming soon.' He explained. 'Appa needed to call the doctor and your grandparents in advance, so they'll know to come and see them when they arrive.'  
Yeosang should have known this seemed familiar in some way, because this is exactly how he found out when Seonghwa went into labor with Wooyoung . It wasn't that big of a shock because of that. He took it well.

'Is Daddy okay?' He only asked after a while, and Hongjoong smiled.

'Yes, he is okay.' Yeosang nodded his head. As long as Seonghwa was okay, then he was okay as well.

Even though Yeosang said it was night, it was only actually 5 am. He tried to go and get some more sleep after Hongjoong asked him to do so, but he couldn't get himself to fall asleep again. He was nervous. So, he found himself walking back downstairs to Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

Hongjoong was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, watching nervously as Seonghwa walked back and forth the room. At some points he'd stop just so he could feel properly what was going on with his body. He didn't feel any contractions yet, just the feeling of a heat. The walking made him feel less nervous. Hongjoong murmured something underneath his breath, probably telling his husband to take it easy and not over work his body.

'Appa...' Yeosang murmured once he came down the stairs. 'I can't fall asleep anymore.' He complained and walked over to the two.

'That's okay.' Seonghwa spoke and smiled as Yeosang came over to give him a hug. He held onto Seonghwa tightly, almost as if he feared that he'd let go of him. When he finally managed to let go of him, Yeosang went over and sat in Hongjoong's lap, wrapping his hands around his neck.

'You don't need to go to school tomorrow.' Hongjoong then said and smiled as Yeosang looked shocked.

'Why?' He asked, weirded out- because he always had to go to school. He tried to escape from the horrible doom of going to school pretty often, but he still always had to go. He liked to pretend to be sick the most.

'You get a whole day with your grandparents, while me and Seonghwa stay home to wait for the baby. A few doctors will come as well.' Hongjoong said, and Yeosang couldn't help but feel exited. 'You also might spend a night at my parents place!' Hongjoong added and Yeosang could already see the endless video games and sweets that Hongjoong's parents' house always had. But he couldn't help and feel a bit sad as well.

'I thought that we got to be here when the baby would come.' He murmured and Hongjoong looked over to Seonghwa for help. Seonghwa understood his call for help and joined them, sitting down as well  
.  
'The baby might take a long time to arrive. Like a reeeally long time.' Seonghwa spoke. 'And sadly the baby will take all our attention during that time, so Appa won't be able to play with you guys, and I won't be able to cook you your favorite food. So it will be much, much better that you go spend some time with your grandparents at first.' Seonghwa explained, trying to sound as nice as possible, and not hurt Yeosang's feelings. 'And when you get back home- I promise you that you'll be able to meet the baby.'

Yeosang pouted for a minute, looking down at his feet and swinging them around. This wasn't obviously the answer that he wanted to hear, but it was alright. Seonghwa did promise him after all.

'Okay.' He finally said and Seonghwa smiled sweetly at him.

Yeosang was seated on the living room floor, looking at some Disney movie on the lowest volume setting when the doctor arrived.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had informed doctor Choi about the heat beginning, and he told them that he'd arrive in a few hours. He came at 7 am, around two hours after Seonghwa first started to feel the heat. He did his examination and came to the conclusion that Seonghwa had indeed started his heat. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long, so the real labor could begin.

During the next hour Mingi woke up as well, and Hongjoong's parents arrived. All the kids would be going over to Hongjoong's parents house and stay there for the night as well. Seonghwa's parents would take the earliest train over and stay over at Hongjoong's parents place as well.

Seonghwa looked tiredly at Mingi as the other woke up and made his way into the first floor, rubbing his eyes in confusion at the amount of people in their living room. Hongjoong went over and took him into his arms, bringing him to sit next to Seonghwa.

They explained the situation to him as well, on a level which he could understand. He probably only heard the part 'you're going to your grandparents' place' and the rest went in through his ear and immediately out of the other.

Seonghwa didn't really know which was weirder. Always leaving home and the kids to go into the hospital, or have the kids leave the home. Both felt wrong, as he preferred to have the kids with him at all times.  
Seonghwa got a phone call from his parents, informing him that they were on their way. They would take hours to arrive, but they were coming.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong thought it would be for the best for the kids to leave already. They would become too confused with all those people around them. Also Seonghwa didn’t want to traumatize them in any way as he would be not himself while giving birth. He would be crying, screaming and swearing at the top of his lungs when his worst contractions ripped through him. He didn’t want the kids to hear that. So, Hongjoong went ahead and woke up Yunho, San and Wooyoung , got them up and ready to leave. As they ate breakfast, Seonghwa told them the situation. They didn't seem to mind leaving, and Seonghwa was happy. He really didn't feel like dealing with tears right now.

Seonghwa sat down with a sigh onto the couch after they left. He felt the heat spread through him, his stomach feeling warm and his waist aching. He could already imagine the contractions that were coming soon that he had been without for the past 4 years.  
Hongjoong could sense how uncomfortable he was just by looking at him. Seonghwa tried not to show it too much, as he knew this was just the beginning. He would have hours and hours of pain in front of him, so he didn't want to even complain right now. And Hongjoong understood that.  
So he said nothing, just grabbed his hand and brought it up to his lips. Seonghwa's lips formed into a small smile as he relaxed for a moment. He would be okay- he always was once they got over the worst part. He could get through anything as long as Hongjoong was there with him, holding his hand.

*

Yeosang looked at his sibling running around the big living room of their grandparents house, without any worry in their minds. Mingi was laughing and looking through the collection of toy cars that their grandpa had gotten for them to play with. Yunho was looking through a bunch of different magazines, sometimes drawing on the pages. Wooyoung and San were chasing after each other, sometimes stopping to jump onto the couch next to Yeosang with a loud scream.

Yeosang had played a few games on the old playstation 2 that was connected to the tv, but got bored after a while. He also couldn't really focus on the game, as his mind was somewhere else.

He took one last look of his brothers before leaving the room to go find his grandma who was making them a snack in the kitchen. Their grandpa had left back to work, but he promised to come back if there were any news from their parents.

'Oh, hello Yeosang.' She greeted Yeosang when she noticed him walk into the kitchen. Yeosang pulled back a chair and climbed to sit on it. He swung his feet back and forth as he watched his grandmother prepare them food. He would have asked if he could help her, but he wasn't allowed to do anything in the kitchen. That was something that wasn't allowed inside this house- men cooking. Yeosang didn't understand why, but he didn't feel like asking the reason either.

'i'll get you something to eat in just a moment.' She spoke and continued cooking, her long fake nails clicking against the cutting board, even through the plastic gloves that she was wearing.

'I'm not that hungry.' Yeosang confessed, paying attention to the way that she was preparing the food. That was an old habit of Yeosang, he always watched carefully when other people- that weren't Seonghwa or Hongjoong- made them food, because he feared for Wooyoung 's health. Seonghwa and Hongjoong had told him how important it was that Wooyoung didn't get any of the things that he was allergic to. Wooyoung always had a type of medication with him, as he could get a really bad allergic reaction from cow milk, that could make him go into Anaphylactic shock.

'Why are you in the kitchen then?' She laughed and began cutting some vegetables.

Yeosang could have lied, or said something about being bored, or not feeling like spending time with his little brothers. But he honestly felt like speaking what he had in his mind at the moment. So he did, which was surprising, even to himself.

'I am nervous about the baby coming.' He confessed and watched as his grandma stopped her movements before turning around to look at him.

'Oh, why are nervous sweetie?' She asked, removing her gloves and putting them in the trash. She moved a chair and sat next to Yeosang. Yeosang noticed how careful she was, and almost uncomfortable. Perhaps that was just because she never had to have a conversation like this before.

Yeosang shrugged his shoulder and played with his fingers, trying to now avoid the topic even though he was the one to bring it up. The continuous gaze of his grandmother on him made him give up after a while.  
'Because,' He started. 'maybe the baby wont like me.' She blinked a few times before answering, clearly taken back by what he said.

'Yeosang, honey.' She cooed and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. 'You are the greatest big brother that I have ever seen.' She began talking, looking down at Yeosang as she did so. 'All your younger brothers love you much and respect you more than anyone. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a big brother. That baby will love you, no matter what.' She assured him. 'I am sure of it.' Yeosang nodded his head, but still seemed a bit on the edge about it. He wanted to believe her words, but it seemed a bit too hard to do so right now. She noticed this.

'Can I tell you a secret, Yeosang?' She then asked. Yeosang nodded his head again.

'I have an older brother, who was the most horrible person ever when we were growing up.' She explained. 'He was mean, evil and always mad at me. I hated him.' She then confessed, and Yeosang listened closely. If this was supposed to make him feel any better, it really wasn't.

'What I mean is... You are not mean. You are not evil. You are never even mad at people. You are a perfect brother, who loves his own brothers.' She explained to him, wanting to make sure that he understood what she meant. 'This baby will never, ever hate you unless you make them hate you. And I am sure that you would never do something to hurt them, right?'

'I would never be mad or mean at the baby. Or any of my brothers.' Yeosang remarked, and he began to finally realize what she had meant earlier. 'I will continue being nice and caring, so that the baby will love me much as I will love them.' He continued, finally hugging his grandma back.

'I know you will.' She murmured and kissed the top of his head.

*

'Oh god...' Seonghwa moaned as he leaned forward, arms pressed against the back of their couch, his back arching slightly as another strong contraction ripper through him again. He had been in labor for 4 hours now, and it seemed that things were moving along alright. He was still only a few centimetres dilated, so he could walk around freely and do his thing, but he would have to lie down soon so that everything went safely. Luckily his heat only lasted for a few hours, things moving along quite quickly. Doctors said it was only natural since he had already given birth to four children naturally already, hid body used to this process.

Hongjoong was right behind him, massaging his sides up and down as Seonghwa leaned against the cushion with his elbows. ‘It’s a big one this time.’ Hongjoong murmured quietly, to the nurse sitting in their dining room. She said something but Seonghwa wasn’t able to hear it, his fingernails digging into the cushions as his contraction reached its peak and ripped through him. A broken whine escaped his lips, making Hongjoong’s grip on his hips tighten in order to keep him standing up. 

During these 4 hours, doctor Choi and his two assistants brought all of their equipment with them, and made sure that the nest was ready for the delivery and that they had everything that they needed for the baby when they arrived. They were all ready now, sometimes leaving the house briefly to go back to the hospital, but coming back soon in case Seonghwa needed help.

This was the tricky part in giving birth when you were a werewolf. The labor process lasted so long that it almost felt stupid to have all these people in their home just waiting for Seonghwa to get ready. But it was necessary, as you never knew what could suddenly happen.

In the end Seonghwa was happy that they made the decision to have the baby in their home. It felt much more safer and comfortable. He wasn't locked behind the hospital doors for almost a whole day during the labor, but he could now be much more free while waiting for the delivery. Now if only he could enjoy this freedom without these god awful contractions that seemed to get stronger every time.

As the break between Seonghwa's contractions became more and more smaller, the doctor decided that it would be best for Seonghwa to go back up stairs and lay down by now. There they would check how far he had dilated during the few hours that they waited.

Seonghwa immediately wanted the nest instead of the bed. The nest had been prepared already, so Seonghwa could lie in it comfortably, once he changed his clothes. Hongjoong took his usual position behind Seonghwa and gave him something solid to lean onto.

Hongjoong brought up Seonghwa's hand that he was holding onto- kissing the back of his hand and the ring he was still wearing on his ring finger. He wouldn't get rid of it even when his fingers swelled a bit during the pregnancy.

Seonghwa let out a long whine with every breath he let out, closing his eyes and squeezing Hongjoong's hand. He only let go when the contractions ended, giving him a small break.  
'I want to push already.' Seonghwa moaned, his voice low and broken.

Hongjoong hummed. He called doctor Choi back into the room, and asked him to check how far Seonghwa was. He had checked his process around 40 minutes ago, and he was just 8 cm dilated, and had to wait more. Seonghwa personally felt like he was far enough already, thank you very much.

Seonghwa was hardly ever wrong, and this time was no exception. He had indeed hit the full dilation mark and was ready to go.

Yesterday, around this time- Hongjoong had been wondering when he would get to hold their baby. He had been feeling so anxious already- just wanting to have the baby with him already, and to be able to hold them, feel them and see them.

And here he was, 7 hours after Seonghwa began his heat, holding their youngest son in his arms. Looking down at him sleep in his arms after just getting cleaned up by a nurse. He had cried loudly, clearly seeming annoyed at the fact that he had to leave Seonghwa's tummy so soon. But he seemed to enjoy Seonghwa's embrace just as much.

'Quit hogging him all for yourself.' Hongjoong had complained and only then gotten to hold him for himself. Seonghwa had smiled as he watched Hongjoong stand there with their just born son in his hands. God, he had missed seeing that picture.

Seonghwa loved seeing it so much, that it was causing him more harm than good.

'He is our last one.' He had then declared. 

Hongjoong let out a laugh. 'Yeah right.'

'No i'm serious.' Seonghwa smiled back and moved carefully in the nest, watching out for his hurting lower body. 'I am so serious in fact, that I'll let you pick the name. Because this is the only time you'll get the chance to do so.' Seonghwa then added and Hongjoong looked at him, shocked. Seonghwa always picked the names- that was just something that he always did. And Hongjoong was always okay with it, 100%. But Seonghwa looked serious, and there was no trace of a lie on his face as he said it.

Hongjoong looked back down at the small bundle on his arms. He could see small fingers grabbing onto the edge of the blanket that he was wrapped around in, and a small amount of hair peeking from underneath the small hat that he was wearing. His cute lips stretched every time he yawned and how his small button nose moved as well. He was perfect.

'You must have at least one name in your mind.' Seonghwa spoke, and Hongjoong nodded his head.

'I do.' He answered. He broke his eyes away from their son and looked at Seonghwa instead. 'Jongho.'

'Jongho.' Seonghwa repeated and smiled wider.

*

'Why is he so small?'

'Is he always going to cry so much?'

'His head is weirdly shaped.'

'Can he speak yet?'

Hongjoong sighed and looked down to Mingi and San who were asking the questions. They smiled widely and ignored the way Hongjoong rolled his eyes.

Wooyoung looked at Jongho quietly, just watching how he moved every now and then and how he made a small sound sometimes. He looked up at Hongjoong with wide eyes. 'How long until he can play with me?' Hongjoong smiled and put a hand through his hair.

'A little bit, Wooyoung .' Hongjoong laughed at the small pout Wooyoung made at his answer.

Hongjoong noticed how quietly Yeosang also looked at Jongho, from the corner of the room. Almost like he was afraid. Hongjoong called him over, taking a hold of his hand when he was close enough.

'Jongho-ah, this is your biggest brother, Yeosang hyung.' Hongjoong spoke as Yeosang leaned against the crib, looking at Jongho from close.

'Hello Jongho.' Yeosang spoke and smiled a little at the infant lying on the bed. Hongjoong was happy that Yeosang even said that, as he wasn't expecting much from him at first. But Yeosang had even more to say.

'i'll be your best big brother ever.' He began. 'i'll always be nice, and i'll never be mean to you. i'll always help you with everything and i'll never be mad at you.' He murmured, looking a bit shy because everyone was looking at him now. He got courage from Hongjoong's smile.

'I love you, Jongho.' He ended his speech and Hongjoong hugged him to his side.

'He loves you as well.' He told him, and Yeosang nodded his head, with that small smile still on his lips.

'I love him too!' Yunho then joined, soon Mingi, San and Wooyoung did the same.

Seonghwa looked at the scene in the nursery with a fond smile on his lips, while leaning against the door frame.  
This was the family that he had created for himself with Hongjoong.

He has an amazing, loving husband, who Seonghwa loves to the moon and back with all his heart. Sometimes finding it actually gross how much he adored the man, but that was okay, because Hongjoong loved him just as much.

Together they created this family. That was no longer so small as it used to be, but that made them even more perfect.

Everyone could feel the love inside this house as they stepped in it. You could feel it and see it, from the way that Yeosang looked out for his younger siblings, or how the youngest two always respected Mingi, Yunho and Yeosang as the older brothers. And how much they all loved Jongho from the very first moment that they met him.

There will be times when they will find themselves not agreeing with some things. There will be times when the kids will cause some trouble and will say mean things to Seonghwa and Hongjoong- but they will never truly mean it in the end. It was just a part of growing up and causing some trouble along the way, but that was okay.

Seonghwa no longer feared for the future, because everything that happened would be something that they could get over with, together.


	2. Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @NE0_ClTY

Yunho blocked his ears as he heard Jongho cry out again in Hongjoong's arms while the other was cooking something. Jongho whined as Hongjoong moved up and down, his tiny frame moving with him as he was strapped to his chest, with one of those things that looked like a backpack that was backwards. Yunho had heard the word 'baby carrier' being thrown around a bunch, but that couldn't possibly be it.  
Yunho glared at the infant for a moment, then getting back to his homework. Jongho cried out again and Yunho let out a sound of frustration.

'I can't concentrate on my homework because of him.' He whined and squirmed in the chair.

Hongjoong hummed and reached for something to put in the stir fry he was making. Yunho hoped it wasn't rat poison- Hongjoong truly was someone who could manage to put something like that in the food by accident.

'Jongho doesn't mean to be distracting, he just can't help it.' Hongjoong spoke and cooed at the small bundle strapped onto him. Yunho rolled his eyes and pushed out his tongue, while making a noise.

'Now, Yunho. If it bothers you that much- maybe you could finish your homework in your own room.' Hongjoong suggested and Yunho got up, taking his things while glaring at Hongjoong. It seemed to be the right choice to move spots, as Jongho soon got upset about something and began to sob. Yunho dragged his empty backpack against the stair steps and carried all his books in his hands. He almost dropped one, but catched it just before it managed to hit the floor. He let out a sigh of relief as he did so, because otherwise Seonghwa would have probably woken up from his nap and then everyone would get to suffer.  
Seonghwa was currently going through his first heat after having Jongho, almost two months after having him. And as you could guess, the previous pregnancy made his inner clock all fucked up, so his heat was all over the place. He was currently on his tenth day, and he wasn't enjoying it that much.

Yunho peeked from the door of their bedroom, and saw that Seonghwa was indeed in deep sleep and hadn't been bothered by him messing around in the stairs. He closed the door carefully, just so his younger brothers wouldn't go and ruin his sleep.

'Did you finish your homework already?' Yunho asked, surprised as he saw Yeosang playing on his console already. He only got to play with it after finishing all his homework. Yeosang moved his feet so Yunho had enough room to sit on his bed and hummed.

'Could you help me with mine so we can play together?' Yunho grinned widely as he asked his older brother. Yeosang stayed quiet for a moment, but broke into a small smile after. He placed the game console on his pillow and got up in order to help Yunho with his math homework.

'How are you so good at these?' Yunho asked, honestly amazed at how good Yeosang was at math. He could be that Einstein guy everyone keeps talking about at school, he was that good.

'Because we had the same exact book last year.' Yeosang laughed at the look on Yunho's face. 'I'm not that smart, Yunho.' He added and continued to look through the book.

'But you are pretty smart.' Yunho spoke, jumping on the bed once. 'Not as smart as Dad and Appa, but pretty smart still. You are smarter than me, so that's something.' He spoke and threw his legs up on the wall while laying down on the bed next to Yeosang. He made sure not to make too much sound.

Yunho tapped his feet against the wall, making small sounds as he pushed himself forward, arching his back as he did a weird handstand. Yeosang didn't even look, just stayed serious as he looked through Yunho's math problems, making sure that they were correct. Yunho tried getting his brother's attention, but failed. He pouted as he put his feet down and laid next to Yeosang.

He could hear how Mingi, San and Wooyoung were making noise in the back yard from the window that was open. He could also hear how Hongjoong was trying to speak to them, but the three clearly didn't listen. Yunho got up to look outside from the window, and indeed saw his younger siblings playing on the lawn.

Yunho smiled as he saw the three play on the swings, Wooyoung pushing San- but failing as the other was so much smaller compared to San. His twin Mingi was doing an impressive trick of hanging upside down. Yunho was about to yell something at them, but Hongjoong got to do it first.

'Dinner time!' Hongjoong yelled from the open back door downstairs, and probably went back into the kitchen.

Even though the food wouldn't be that good because Hongjoong made it, Yunho could hear his stomach rumble at the words of dinner. He looked over to Yeosang eagerly.

'You are pretty smart too, Yunho.' Yeosang smiled and got up. 'These are all correct!' He said and laughed as Yunho almost yelled out as he jumped up from the bed. The two completely forgot about Seonghwa as they ran out of their room and down the stairs.

Seonghwa wasn't even mad that he was woken up by the two. He had already been asleep for a while, and had gotten pretty hungry. So, he got out of bed, took a brisk shower and dragged himself downstairs where Hongjoong was already waiting for him with a special plate of food. A tiny bit of the same stir fry, accompanied by a massive pile of unseasoned meat. His favorite.

San eyed the plate with big eyes, but decided not to beg for Seonghwa's food. He understood that he wasn't feeling too great and didn't want to bother him too much. All the kids got some meat on their plates as well in the end.

'How are you feeling?' Hongjoong asked as he sat next to Seonghwa, handing him Jongho because he asked so. Seonghwa placed Jongho against his chest and hummed as he felt Jongho relax against himself, stopping whining. Seonghwa had that special power, always making Jongho quiet by taking him in his arms.

'Not too good, if i'm being honest.' Seonghwa laughed and took a big gulp of water. 'But i'm much better than yesterday, and the day before that. So I think i'm getting closer to the end already.' Seonghwa explained and Hongjoong nodded his head. He took this advantage and began eating, before he would have to take Jongho again.

Because Seonghwa was always such a mess during his heats, he kinda missed a lot of things because of it. The long daily naps really messed with his memory so he remembered just bits and pieces of the day. Some days he didn't even come down stairs to eat or anything and just stayed in the bed all day. He felt bad, especially for the kids. They were always so confused about why Seonghwa wasn't there when they came home from school and daycare. He also felt bad for Hongjoong having to take time off of work to look after everyone by himself as he just slept.

'Anything new happened in school?' Seonghwa asked the three oldest, as he felt like he could now make proper conversation with them again, without wanting to leave back to the bed immediately with a bunch of food with him. He really hoped that this meant his heat would be over soon. 10 days was just way too much.

Mingi thought for a moment, but couldn't really come up with anything. He did tell Seonghwa about the thing that happened at the school yard a few days ago, when he found a really big snail. Seonghwa smiled as he listened to him explain it so excitedly.

'I got into the basketball team.' Yeosang then said, surprising Seonghwa.

'Really? I didn't think you'd be interested in joining a sports team.' He said, and Yeosang nodded his head- because that was true. He wasn't interested at all, and was actually a bit sour about the whole situation.  
'We had to pick one extra class, and it was either a sport one or knitting class... I didn't really want to pick the knitting one, so I had to go with a sport one.' Yeosang confessed. 'Basketball seemed like the most fun one.'

'I would have totally gone with the knitting class.' Seonghwa spoke and made Yeosang smile. 'I think it will be fun! So don't worry about it too much, okay?' Seonghwa said and Yeosang hummed. He knew that Yeosang wasn't the type to join anything like a team or a club. He didn't enjoy being too close to other people, and liked to be mostly alone. He was probably stressed at the thought of joining a sports team, that he wasn't even that much interested in.

After eating, Seonghwa got enough energy and managed to stay up for a while. He made sure that Wooyoung ate, and then fed Jongho after everyone else was done eating. Hongjoong and the kids went outside to spend some time in the spring sun. There was still a bit of snow on the ground, but you could already see some grass growing and a few flowers coming up as well. The sand in the sandbox was no longer frozen, so San and Wooyoung could finally play in it. Mingi, Yunho and Yeosang looked as Hongjoong put up another swing, the tire one. After it was up, they hopped onto it together.

Seonghwa walked out to the small patio with Jongho in his arms. He was trying to make him burp as he walked slowly. Once he did burp, Seonghwa took a seat in one of the foldable garden chairs. He still felt the after effects of his heat on him. He felt a bit hot, but the small cooling breeze outside made him feel better. He was sure he'd be alright by tomorrow. Then he could start being useful around the house again. He felt bad for Hongjoong having to do everything by himself for this long.

Seonghwa had said that to him one night when Hongjoong finally was able to crawl under the covers, after fighting with San to get him into the bed. He was tired as hell and looked a bit worn out. Hongjoong still managed to always smile when Seonghwa snuggled up closer to him.

'You do this on a daily basis, every day when i'm working- and you manage to work as well after all this. These few days are nothing compared to the amount of work you have to go through daily for this family. I'm fine, Seonghwa.' Hongjoong assured him, and Seonghwa just had to believe him in the end.

'You sound like you think you do nothing to help me.' Seonghwa murmured against Hongjoong's neck, already feeling like falling asleep again.

'Sometimes I do feel like that.' Hongjoong then confessed. 'I'm away from home a bit too much sometimes. I am a bit too lazy some days, and I clearly don't do everything that I could to help around the house.' He spoke and Seonghwa closed his eyes.

'Maybe.' He murmured. 'That might be true sometimes, but in the end- just you being here helps me get through each day- even if you didn't help that much.' Seonghwa spoke and felt the way Hongjoong began rubbing small circles with his fingertips onto his back. 'And in the end you do help by doing all these small little things, that make it easier.' He added. 'So stop thinking that you are useless.'

Hongjoong hummed and Seonghwa could see the smile he had on his lips, even when his own eyes were closed.

*

'I don't think this is such a good idea.' Seonghwa murmured as he watched Hongjoong dress Jongho. All the other kids were already done and waited for Hongjoong's parents to come and pick them up.

'Why not?' Hongjoong asked and cooed down at Jongho who began squirming on the changing table as Hongjoong tried to get him in his onesie. He clearly also didn't like the thought of getting all dressed and leaving with his grandparents.

'It just... Feels wrong.' Seonghwa spoke and had to pull his hand away from his mouth because he kept biting on his nails. 'I just think that maybe we should stay home instead, and just cancel this whole thing.'  
Hongjoong finally managed to dress Jongho, and lifted him up into his arms. 'Is it because of Jongho?' Hongjoong asked and Seonghwa had to nod his head. Hongjoong smiled and held the infant closer to himself. He knew what Seonghwa meant before the other could even say it himself. This was something that they went through with every baby.

'I just feel wrong leaving him alone.' Seonghwa spoke.

'He isn't going to be alone.' Hongjoong spoke. 'My mother won't leave him alone for one second, and you know that.' Hongjoong reminded the other but he still didn't seem satisfied.

'Seonghwa, we haven't gone out in months without the kids.' Hongjoong laughed and Seonghwa stared at him for a moment, opening his mouth. 'That time we went to the store to get toilet paper while our neighbors watched over them does not count.' Seonghwa closed his mouth.

Seonghwa always felt super weird going out without the kids for the first time. He had literally been with Jongho 24/7 ever since he was born, and it was just weird not having him there. Hongjoong felt like that as well, but he knew it was the right thing to do- to go out and be without the kids and the baby for a moment. It was normal, and he almost felt like you should do it as soon as possible so that you won't have horrible separation anxiety in the future. Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho are fine with Seonghwa and Hongjoong leaving every now and then, but sometimes Wooyoung and San don't like it. The weird thing is, that in order to fix it is just to be without them even more- so they get used to it. It will be good for Jongho to be without them as well sometimes, as it will be good for Seonghwa and Hongjoong as well- even if the other doesn't feel like it yet.

Seonghwa tried to act like he was okay, he really did. But Hongjoong could see how restless and anxious he was all night long. In the end Seonghwa managed to relax a bit and enjoy the night. They went to a nice restaurant and had dinner, they then went to the movies. In a way this was the way that they celebrated their 10 year anniversary of being married. It wasn't anything big and special, and it didn't need to be. In a really corny way, everyday felt like their anniversary anyways.

And as they literally spend their wedding day and honeymoon staying at home and eating take out food, before going back to work a few days after, like normal. They weren't the most celebrating type of people.  
And Seonghwa and Hongjoong had never really been big fans of celebrating anyways. Having parties and all that kind of stuff wasn't really their thing, so they liked to do things their own way. Eating way too much popcorn while watching a shitty romcom movie seemed to do the trick for them.

At the end of the night, there was even time left to go back home and be alone for a moment before Hongjoong's parents brought the kids back.  
Having time like this, just for the two of them was rare these days. And yes, it sucked- having to deal with stuff like sexual frustration and each other's needs with quick hand jobs in the shower. It was even harder when Seonghwa was in heat, but they somehow always made it work.

But nothing could really beat this. Just the two of them, not having to worry about the kids being in the house. Them hearing, or walking in on anything. Neither of them had to hurry, or muffle their noises as they collided against each other on the bed, for what seemed like the first time in forever. It was so good, and Seonghwa couldn't remember why he didn't 'get rid' of the kids sooner.

'Was he being good?' Seonghwa asked as he pretty much snatched Jongho back to him from Hongjoong's mother. 'Did he cry a lot?' He cooed down to Jongho, watching how he grabbed onto the material on his shirt.

'Not at all!' Hongjoong's mother spoke. 'He just slept through the whole evening. So you'll probably have a very interesting night ahead of you, because he'll probably stay awake.' She said, and was probably right.  
Seonghwa nodded his head, turning to look at the kids who were getting up from the car. 'Everything else went okay? Did Wooyoung eat all his food? Did you make sure that Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang did their homework? Oh, and did San-'

'Seonghwa, everything is alright.' She spoke, putting a hand on his shoulder. 'Wooyoung ate all his food- with no milk or gluten. Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang finished their homework, and San didn't break anything.' She spoke, even managing to guess what Seonghwa was about to ask about San. He let out a sigh and Hongjoong's mother smiled.

'I'm sorry, I know that you will always do great with the kids, but it's just that... I can't help but worry.' He confessed.

'That is alright. Every parent thinks the same when it comes to their children.' She assured Seonghwa, so that he wouldn't feel too bad. Seonghwa thanked her one more time.

Seonghwa really thought that it was good that he was away from Jongho that one evening. He got to know the feeling of being without his baby, and he got used to the feeling a little bit. He still didn't like it, but he knew he had to go through it in the end. Soon Seonghwa would start working again, and Jongho would need to go to daycare, and Seonghwa needed to prepare himself for that. He and Hongjoong had gone through this many times before, but it was just as hard each time. It helped that they knew the people working in the daycare very well because they have been taking care of all their kids at some point. But even that didn't make all of Seonghwa's anxiety go away.

'Maybe I could just stop working and become a good stay at home dad for the rest of my life.' Seonghwa had suggested one day, as a joke, but it didn't actually sound too bad once he said it out loud. Hongjoong called him silly.

*

'I hate basketball.' Yeosang spoke as soon as he got into the car. Hongjoong didn't even get to ask how his day had been, when he already told him. He clearly didn't enjoy the new sport he had to take.

'Why is that?' Hongjoong asked as he made sure that Yunho was wearing his seat belt. Yunho was holding a small plastic bag filled with cookies that he had made himself at school for home economics class. Mingi had already eaten all of his, since his lips were coated in crumbs. Seonghwa would surely ask him about that once he got out of work, wanting to know how his school taught the kids about cooking. Yunho offered Yeosang a grumbled cookie, but he didn't even look his way. Yunho blinked, but then ate the cookie himself.

'I don't like the other kids.' Yeosang murmured, looking out off the window. He brought his hand up and removed the sweatband he had on his head, dropping it next to him.

'Were they mean to you?' Hongjoong asked, worried that the kids were bullying Yeosang for some reason. Yeosang shook his head. 'Then why?'

'They don't like me.' He spoke. Hongjoong couldn't understand how that was possible. Yeosang was such a sweet kid, that everyone was able to like him. He asked him why the kids didn't like him.

'Because the teacher likes me.' Yeosang then said, and Hongjoong was confused. Yeosang realized that, and explained his clueless father. 'He thinks that i'm really good at basketball, and the other kids made fun of me because of that. They called me the teachers pet.' He murmured and Hongjoong nodded his head.

'Yeosang, you do realize that they are being very stupid and foolish for saying those things, right?' Hongjoong asked the other and he nodded his head after thinking about it for a moment. 'You should never feel bad for being good at something.' Hongjoong explained to him. 'I am pretty sure that the only reason why they made fun of you, was because they were jealous.' He added and Yeosang nodded his head after a moment.

'Heck- if the teacher said you were so good at basketball in the first class, I might just need to see that myself. You could teach me some of your moves.' Hongjoong spoke and noticed the way Yeosang cheered up a bit. He then smiled as Mingi asked him to teach him as well. Yeosang began explaining about the rules of playing basketball, completely forgetting that he had been sad about it just a few minutes ago.

'Don't freak out.' Hongjoong began explaining to Seonghwa about the conversation in the car that he had with Yeosang. Seonghwa made a confused face as he looked at Hongjoong. 'Yeosang told me earlier today that he was getting picked on in school, during basketball.' He should have known telling Seonghwa not to freak out didn't do much in such a situation.

'How could they do that?' Seonghwa had asked even after Hongjoong explained to him the situation like Yeosang had told him before. 'Should we call the school?' Seonghwa then asked.

'No, no- no.' Hongjoong let out a laugh and pretty much stole Seonghwa's phone from the mattress next to them. Seonghwa didn't move, but glared at him as he did so. 'I don't think that's necessary right now.' He then added.

'We had a pretty good talk after it, and I think Yeosang got something out of it. He understood that the reason behind the bullies was stupid, and he was the smart one.' Hongjoong explained and Seonghwa stayed quiet.

'Yeah, but how long will it take before they get a new reason to pick on him about? Then what? Have another conversation with him, and another one after that- he is going to stop believing what we tell him because those bullies will always find a new thing to pick on.' Seonghwa was right, in a way. But Hongjoong still felt like it was too early to call the school. Even though it sounded cruel, they needed to wait until something similar happened again.

'Hongjoong.' Seonghwa sighed after Hongjoong told him what he just thought about. 'Is it a literal miracle that Yeosang hasn't been bullied before because of the situation he is in. Think about it- he has once brought it up that there have been kids in his class who thought his family- us- are weird. He has heard shit from them before already. It's only going to get worse.' Hongjoong stayed quiet as he listened to Seonghwa speak.

'God, what if Yunho and Mingi have been going through the same thing already, but haven't told us?' Seonghwa then sighed and sunk deeper into the pillows on the bed.

'Seonghwa, Mingi tells us about the kinds of poops he takes. I don't think he would be having problems telling us if something made him feel sad in school.' Hongjoong said, half serious but half joking. Seonghwa didn't look too amused.

'They tell us everything, Seonghwa.' Hongjoong began, sounding more serious than before. 'Yeosang told me today when the problem first rose. He will tell us again if it happens again. And if it does, then we'll call the school.' He spoke, hopefully making Seonghwa feel less stressed so he could fall asleep well.  
Seonghwa sighed. 'I guess so.' He murmured and squirmed as Hongjoong hugged his side. 'I hate it when you're right- that's supposed to be me.'

When Yeosang came back from school the next week- he hadn't experienced the same problem again. Instead he got a few friends during the class, as he helped them understand the rules of the game better. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were relieved, but the thought of it happening again still stayed in their minds.

Kids liked to bully each other over every little thing. They noticed the small things like hawks and targeted the person for those things. Those things either being something in the way that they looked or acted. Everything out of the normal was seen, and the kids wouldn't let it go until they got something out of it.

Sure, most bullies were doing it only because they themselves had something to hide and needed to show that they were still strong- but some kids were just plain mean. Hongjoong and Seonghwa knew this, because they had both been bullied at some point when they were younger.

Just like Yeosang, Hongjoong got a lot of shit in school for being better than the rest. He was a proper nerd, and was always on the top of the grades. Teachers loved him and the others got jealous. The bullying became so bad that it had an effect on Hongjoong's grades, as he was afraid of doing his best, because of the bullying.

His parents got involved after his grades hit rock bottom, and things became worse after that. He grew older, so did the bullies. They became stronger and more verbal with their insults. Hongjoong only got rid of them when he changed schools. Hongjoong didn't want his kids to go through the same.

Like Yeosang once mentioned, some of his classmates found his family weird and said something mean about them. Seonghwa knew that feeling very well, growing up with not too many werewolves around him and way too many humans.

They didn't understand what it meant to be a werewolf. They had no interest in learning more about it, as they just wanted to bully Seonghwa. It was about the fact that he had a big family, with an alpha father and a beta mother. They didn't know what neither of those words meant, so that just made them more interested in making fun of him. They found something different in him that made him the perfect target. Seonghwa thought that it would get better when he'd meet more kids who had family members who were werewolves, but he was wrong. Sure, it was okay for a while, but then the bullying began again but for different reasons. Seonghwa turned into an omega.

Not only were the human kids making fun of him because of his race, but the werewolves were now making fun of him for his role. He hates knowing that this was something that could happen to his kids.  
They try not to think about it too much.

*

Seonghwa nearly choked on his breakfast when Yunho screamed loudly while eating his own. Hongjoong got up from his seat under a second, making his way to Yunho on the other side of the table. Hongjoong felt his face go white as he noticed Yunho holding his hand on his mouth. Hongjoong thought he was choking, but was luckily wrong.

Yunho put his finger inside his mouth, and gasped as he took something out. It was a tooth. His first baby tooth. Yunho looked at Seonghwa and Hongjoong, horrified. 'It fell out.' He gasped, placing the tooth onto the table. 'I don't want to eat anymore.' He murmured, traumatized, and pushed the plate away. You could see how his tongue traveled inside his mouth, feeling for the missing spot inside his mouth.

Hongjoong sighed in relief and moved back to his spot. Seonghwa reached over from his spot and put a hand on Yunho's lower jaw. 'Say awww.' He ordered him, and Yunho opened his mouth wide. There was a clear missing spot on his lower front teeth. The gums were red but there wasn't any blood. He pouted as Seonghwa pulled away. Mingi looked traumatized, sitting next to his twin and seeing the bleeding gums and the tooth on the dinner table.

'Is it going to grow back?' He then asked, eyeing the now fallen teeth on the table. Seonghwa stopped San from grabbing it, and probably eating it. That kid was weird.

'A new tooth will grow on the old one's place.' Seonghwa explained to Yunho, and Yeosang nodded his head next to him. He had lost almost most of his baby teeth by now.

'It will be stronger!' San then added. He knew a lot about teeth. Well, about his own teeth. San had learned about his own teeth from his doctor once with Seonghwa and Hongjoong with him. As a cat hybrid, he would begin to develop his adult teeth much sooner than humans, and he had already lost a few ones. The new teeth replacing the baby teeth were much sharper and longer, that was because of his cat genes. Unlike most kids- like Mingi and Yunho- the thought of losing teeth didn't scare San. He didn't mind it. Maybe it was just because San had grown such thick skin over the years of having to get shots almost every month, that it didn't even hurt him that much to lose another one.

The kids spent the whole day looking at each other's teeth, and telling each other how they lost some teeth. Wooyoung felt left out and decided to share about that one time when he cut his own hair. Seonghwa took advantage of the situation and tricked all of the kids to brush their teeth really well that night.

Yunho was a bit sad about the tooth. He pouted while having an evening snack, as he couldn't bite into his apple properly, but Seonghwa had to cut it in pieces for him instead. Hongjoong looked as Yunho still held the fallen tooth in his other hand, which was a bit gross, when he came up with something.

'Hey Yunho-ah,' He called out from the couch while feeding Jongho, who leaned happily against his other arm, looking up at Hongjoong satisfied as he sucked on his bottle. 'have you ever heard about the tooth fairy?' He then asked, at least getting San's attention by the way that he squealed.

Yunho ignored his brother and looked over to Hongjoong. 'Tooth fairy?' He asked while making a face. 'I only know aunt Lilly, not anyone named Tooth...' He then murmured and Hongjoong tried not to laugh too loudly at the random mention of the old fairy lady next door, because 1. Yunho would get offended, and 2. Jongho would get mad if he shook too much.

'Well, they aren't related.' Hongjoong began and Yunho nodded his head. Yeosang smiled as he watched his little brother being tricked by Hongjoong. He also got the same talk when he first lost a tooth, but learned at school that there was no such thing as a tooth fairy. He was mad at Hongjoong for a while, until he forgot about it.

'Tooth fairy is someone, who will take your lost tooth and give you a prize instead.' Hongjoong smiled as Yunho's face lit up.

'Like money?' He asked, looking down at the tooth he gripped onto.

'It could be money.' Hongjoong spoke. 'Or it could be something else as well.'

'I got a small toy car.' Yeosang then added and Yunho gasped dramatically. 'Was it red?' He then asked, looking at his big brother with big eyes.

'No. Even better.' Yeosang smirked. 'It was blue.'

Yunho's mouth fell open with a silent gasp, revealing the hole in the row of white baby teeth. 'I can give all of my teeth away!'

*

'Oh, thank you Jongho-ah, that was lovely.' Seonghwa murmured sarcastically as he heard Jongho spit out something against his shoulder. He was so lucky he always wore a towel underneath the infant when feeding him. Hongjoong laughed from the couch and reached out with a paper towel, wiping off the remains of Jongho's spit and milk. Jongho mumbled out a bunch of sounds as Hongjoong rubbed over his lips with the paper.

'That was gross.' Mingi spoke next to Hongjoong, looking at his youngest brother closely. This was something that Seonghwa and Hongjoong noticed from all of the kids, as they all liked to look after Jongho.  
Yeosang liked to sometimes help feed him. Holding the bottle as Seonghwa supported Jongho, and sometimes even taking him in his lap to hold him, with Seonghwa or Hongjoong's help. Yunho wasn't that interested in Jongho, but he liked to watch over him when Seonghwa or Hongjoong asked him to. Either when he was on the floor or put on the couch for a moment. Yunho took his job seriously- sometimes a bit too seriously- as he would begin to scream for help as soon as Jongho even moved a finger, as he feared he would hurt himself.

San and Wooyoung found him funny. They thought he was a cute little thing, that just really needed to hurry up and grow up already so they could play with him. San also liked to worry about Jongho a lot, always asking if he was okay when he cried. Wooyoung found the crying annoying, but thought that he was adorable when he was quiet.

Jongho was now 4 months old. He had begun to move more on his own, he also began teething and Seonghwa and Hongjoong are currently starting to feed him solids, taking him away from the bottle more. Which was hard, as expected.

Jongho would get grumpy, cry but in the end he ate a bit of the homemade baby food they made for him. San was always happy to eat the remaining food that Jongho didn't want. Seonghwa was enjoying his last few weeks on maternity leave. In a few weeks he would get back to his job at the school, and Jongho would go to daycare during the day. Seonghwa was a bit worried, but he knew it was fine in the end. He had gone through this same thing 5 times already, so he could do it again.

He still couldn't help but hold Jongho tighter against his chest.

Hongjoong assured him that it was okay to worry. It was only natural. Hongjoong too confessed that he worried about it as well. It was scary, being without your child and sending them to somewhere else for the first time. But it was only normal. The kids needed to go to school, and they needed to work, so there really was nothing else that they could do.

Seonghwa remembers going through this same thing with all of their kids, the hardest time being with Yeosang, as he was their first child. Having him go to daycare was something that Seonghwa and Hongjoong thought about a lot, before actually doing it.

Seonghwa extended his maternity leave by a few months, as he didn't want him to be alone. When he had to work, Hongjoong took his place at home with Yeosang. Hongjoong spent his hiatus from work with Yeosang alone at home. It was nice for a while, but it then became too difficult.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa still think to this day that the reason why Yeosang is so antisocial is because he first met other children at such an old age. He should have been put with other kids in daycare when he was younger, so he would have gotten friends and learned to speak more with others. But that is something that they can't change today, so they shouldn't worry about it too much.

So, they learned from the way that they brought up Yeosang, and reflected that onto Yunho and Mingi when they were young. They got into daycare at a young age, and did amazing. Both becoming social butterflies.

Wooyoung and San were always together, so they didn't really care where they were. And even if they had to be away from each other, they were really good at making new friends and meeting people. The two also adapted very well, so they would probably have no problem when going into school in a few years.

So Seonghwa and Hongjoong really had no reason to worry.

And that was true, because soon Seonghwa noticed himself dressing himself to leave to work and Jongho was all ready, sitting in the portable baby car seat like it was normal. It surely was everything but normal a few weeks ago when Seonghwa first did this.

He cried and let out a curse. San had gasped and Hongjoong apologized for the bad word and rubbed Seonghwa's back.

So, Seonghwa cried. Got over it, and then moved on. He took Jongho to the same daycare as San and Wooyoung, and went to work. Surprisingly, he found himself not thinking about Jongho all day long. He could focus on his work, and he found himself enjoying being back at the school again. He met old and new kids, and it was just like before.

Seonghwa still couldn't help but speed through a red light as he left work that day, going to pick up the kids.

Hongjoong felt like he should have called and apologized to whoever met Seonghwa at the daycare that day, as he almost made them cry with the endless questions that he was asking, to make sure Jongho was okay.

Seonghwa didn't find it funny at the time, but he laughs about it these days. He also noticed the fact that things didn't really change that much. It was just that Jongho went to daycare, just like most kids and Seonghwa got to work again. Life continued on, like normal.

Well, as normal as life could get with six kids.

*

Wooyoung stared at Jongho as the younger one crawled slowly on the floor. Wooyoung leaned over the couch, and rested his head on top of his hands. He smiled slyly as he noticed Jongho going straight for San's tail that was hanging off of the couch.

He broke into a loud giggle when he saw San jump in his seat and turn around quickly to snatch his tail away from Jongho's grip. Wooyoung continued laughing, San glared at him while holding onto his tail tightly and Jongho mumbled a bunch, saliva falling from his chin.

'It's not funny.' San spoke, petting his tail in his lap. The long hairs at the end had become wet- probably from the saliva on Jongho's small hands. 'He could have eaten my tail, and that's very serious.' San murmured.

'No he couldn't have.' Wooyoung laughed.

San rolled his eyes. 'He could have. He has small teeth now. One more second- and he could have bitten the whole thing off!' He spoke, waving his tail around to see if it was still working. Jongho was tiny, but he sure was strong. The toddler looked at him with wide eyes.

'He couldn't have.'

'He totally could have.'

'Nuh-uh.'

'Yea-ha.'

'Nuh-uh!'

'Yea-ha!'

And then they were on the floor, as San attacked Wooyoung. They both laughed loudly as they fought to stay on top of each other. San was going to play dirty and try to bite Wooyoung but he was faster, and Wooyoung soon reached and pinched one of San's ears. San whined loudly and hopped off of the other.

'That wasn't fair.' He pouted and rubbed his fluffy ear. Wooyoung laughed and got up from the floor.

Wooyoung knew his brothers weaknesses well, and used them to his advantage when play fighting him. San had very sensitive ears, as the skin on them was way more thinner than a human's ear. But San also knew a few things about his big brother. San suddenly smirked widely and Wooyoung's smile fell from his lips. 'Don't.' He managed to say before San attacked him.

Wooyoung was gasping for breath when San's fingers began tickling him all over. He laughed loudly on the floor as San sat on top of him, trapping him under his bigger self. This continued for a while, Wooyoung's face turning red and his voice becoming raspy because of the screaming for help.

'Appa, help me!' Wooyoung yelled at Hongjoong, who only rolled his eyes as he found the two on the floor. He walked up to them, and Wooyoung already managed to sigh out of relief. But Hongjoong only got Jongho and placed him away from the two so he wouldn't get hurt. He returned and Wooyoung realized to his horror that he wasn't going to help him.

San let out a laugh as he felt himself being picked up. Wooyoung thought for a moment that he was being let go, but Hongjoong soon picked him up as well. The two laughed loudly as Hongjoong threw them onto the couch and tickled them both.

Hongjoong smiled as the two had run out of breath and lied on the couch. 'I think that's enough.' He laughed and sat between the two. He missed the way that San and Wooyoung looked at each other with sly smiles and then at Hongjoong. Hongjoong didn't even get to say anything before he was attacked by the two 4 year olds.

Seonghwa came back home that day with Yunho and Yeosang to find Hongjoong being attacked by the two boys on the couch. Hongjoong of course said that he could have gotten out of it if he wanted to, but didn't try because the boys found it funny. But Seonghwa knew that the other really couldn't do anything, as he was so sensitive to tickles. He had figured that out one night when the two had just started dating.  
Seonghwa had said 'oh is that so', and proceeded to trick Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho to attack him as well. You know, just to see if he really could get out of it by himself. Of course he couldn't.

Seonghwa smiled as he picked up Jongho from the floor and carried him with him into the kitchen, hearing Hongjoong's cries for help from the living room.

Life with six kids was full of surprises and interesting things. Seonghwa and Hongjoong had thought that they had seen it all already when it came to their kids, but it seemed like new things popped up all the time these days. That was of course all a part of growing up and normal, but it was weird. The fact that their kids were growing up was weird.

There were also many things that Hongjoong and Seonghwa felt sorry for lately. There were many things that they couldn't do as a family, that other families do regularly. Like going to theme parks during the summer or skiing in the winter. Going outside of the house was a rare thing, as it was so difficult. Heck, even going to the store together was a big thing these days. Having Jongho with them now made many things more difficult and complicated, but they still tried to do special things pretty often.

Like going to someplace to eat dinner or just ice cream and going to the movies during small special occasions like after someone did well in school.

If doing things together as a family was hard, then doing things 1 on 1 with a kid was nearly impossible. Hongjoong and Seonghwa knew that it was important that their kids get to be with them alone every now and then. Just so that they could talk to them about whatever they wanted, and just so that they could spend more time together without any of their siblings. Finding time for those moments was difficult, but they always somehow figured it out.

Yeosang was usually satisfied with being able to do his homework with their help every now and then. He liked to talk to them about school during car rides, and he talked about other things like basketball and his few friends.

Yunho needed 1 on 1 time almost daily, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong always made sure he got it. Hongjoong usually pulled him onto his lap on the couch after school and spoke with him about everything. Yunho was a kid that likes attention- he always has. He often would tell Seonghwa and Hongjoong if he has been feeling lonely or if he felt like that he hasn't been getting enough attention from the two. Yunho was also someone who really liked skinship, and needed daily hugs and kisses to make him happy.

Mingi was the same, even “worse” at times. He’d often get nightmares or lie about getting them to get permission to sleep between Hongjoong and Seonghwa if he hadn’t gotten enough attention. He loved hugs and would often hang onto either Hongjoong or Seonghwa like a koala baby as long as his arms let him.

San and Wooyoung often still felt jealous because of Jongho. San sometimes felt jealous because of Wooyoung as well. Wooyoung usually got all the attention during dinner time, because of his trouble eating, and San also acted out because of the hope of getting attention. He usually would mess around with his tail.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had to explain to him that it wasn't very good of him to try to get attention this way. They told him that it was much better for him to be a good boy, and that way he would get all the compliments that he wanted and deserved. They also reminded him why they paid so close attention to Wooyoung during dinner time, as San sometimes would forget his big brother's difficulties. San promised to act well, and that promise usually lasted for a few weeks until they had to speak to him about it again.

There have been a few times when Seonghwa and Hongjoong found them in a situation where they had to choose between kids. It was usually because of school, as they needed a parent to attend because of some special occasion.

The most recent one being a day at school, when Yunho and Mingi were a part of the school play and Yeosang had his first basketball game. These two things just so happened to be on the same day, during the same time.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had to decide how to divide, so that all kids got the support of a parent on their special days. Seonghwa was left with Jongho, and Hongjoong would take Wooyoung and San. Now Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho had to decide who they wanted to come see them. Hongjoong should have known that all of them wanted Seonghwa to come.

Both of them wanted Seonghwa to see them that day. Yeosang wanted to show him how well he could play, and Yunho and Mingi wanted to see him in the audience supporting them.  
They got to a perfect compromise in the end, though. Seonghwa would go see Mingi and Yunho's play with Jongho, as it was a much calmer place for the infant. Taking him to a school stadium full of people didn't sound like such a good idea.

Yeosang was a bit sour at first. But he wasn't angry after a while. He too agreed that Jongho should be somewhere more quiet, and that it was okay that Seonghwa couldn't make it. He liked the fact that Hongjoong was coming, as he really enjoyed him playing and talking about basketball. San and Wooyoung would also be much more entertained watching the game, then sitting down during the serious play of Yunho's class.  
And just so neither of the kids would be mad, Seonghwa and Hongjoong recorded both of the events, so that they could see both of them. Yunho also wanted to see Yeosang's game, and Seonghwa promised to him that Yeosang also wanted to see his play. Even though he didn't really care that much. But Yunho was very serious about his role as a talking tree, so Yeosang would surely watch the video if he asked him to.

So, there were times when it seemed like that Hongjoong and Seonghwa had so little time in their hands, for all of the children at once. But they always made it work somehow, and in the end all of the kids were satisfied and knew that Seonghwa and Hongjoong really did everything for them that they could, and that they loved them all equally.

Sometimes it was a bit unfair, and the kids had to wait for their attention and time, but that was how they learned to become patient and be more grateful for the time they got with their parents. They realized that at the moment Jongho needed a bit more of their attention, and that they were treated the same when they were babies. They were smart kids and they understood that.

The boys had all also learned that they could lean onto each other at times, if their parents were busy. Yunho often asked his big brother for help, and San and Wooyoung did the same. Yeosang too found his little brothers helpful at times, and went to them if he had anything on his mind.

They were an odd family, but they worked together perfectly.

*

'Appa! Dad!' Mingi's horrified screams ran through the house. 'He is doing it again!' He continued his screams for help, and Seonghwa nearly fell down the stairs as he ran downstairs- leaving the wet laundry on the floor that he was working on just a moment ago.

As Seonghwa made it onto the scene, Hongjoong also ran from the backyard, clearly out of breath. Both of them let out a sigh of relief as they saw Mingi gently supporting Jongho, who was currently standing while leaning against the edge of the couch. He smiled and slapped his hands against the couch cushion- Mingi became more wary.

'He is going to fall down and hurt himself.' He wailed and looked back at Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Hongjoong smiled and took Mingi's place.

Jongho had started to crawl a lot these days. He moved a lot, at a fast speed, going through the house in circles and following everyone around. He had also now mastered the art of getting up, with the support of something. That something usually being his crib or the couch.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had fenced the whole living room, so that Jongho couldn't get into the kitchen or Hongjoong's office. He also had nothing but toys and pillows in his closure, so there was nothing that could hurt him. Hongjoong and Seonghwa often left him there alone for a short period of time, and they were comfortable with that, as they knew there was nothing that could hurt him.

Jongho often fell on his bottom when getting up to his feet, but that was normal and it wasn't harmful. He learned to get back up and move with his feet better, which was desired. Mingi really liked to worry over it.

Hongjoong took a hold of Jongho's hands and held him, while he still stood on his feet for a moment. He soon sat back down onto the floor and looked up at Hongjoong when his bottom hit the floor. He didn't seem to mind the small fall.

'He is learning to walk.' Seonghwa reminded Mingi. 'He will fall down a bunch while learning, but he needs to move in order to learn. It is great that you keep an eye out for him though Mingi-ah.' Seonghwa smiled as he pulled Mingi closer to himself. Mingi hugged his side, not taking his eyes away from Jongho.

'When will he talk?' He then asked, while watching his little brother get back up again against the couch. Jongho smiled widely, bottom teeth showing, as Hongjoong fake gasped loudly.

'It might take a while.' Seonghwa laughed.

Jongho was now 10 months old. He already crawled around a lot, and managed to turn around while lying down. He now began standing up as well, and he already hit a few other marks as well like getting his first pair of baby teeth.

But he hadn't really said a word yet. He did make a lot of noises and different sounds, but they didn't really sound like any words. Seonghwa and Hongjoong did really try to make him say a bunch of words, like 'Dad' and 'Appa' but he never said them. He liked to mumble a bunch and drool everywhere.

He should be talking soon, but Seonghwa and Hongjoong didn't worry about that. They knew that he would pick up talking at his own pace, like all the rest of their kids did.

Yeosang spoke before he even stood up for the first time. Yunho and Mingi mastered both nearly at the same time, while Wooyoung and San took a while to speak for the first time. San spoke for the first time way before Wooyoung did. His first words that he used a lot were 'mine' and 'no'.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa really liked competing against each other, when it came to their kids saying their names. It was fun, trying to get the boys to say their names when they were babies. Seonghwa was currently losing, as only Wooyoung said his name first. Seonghwa blamed the fact that Hongjoong had given himself the easier name 'Appa' and he was left with the harder version.

When Jongho made his first word, Seonghwa and Hongjoong didn't think that they could turn it into such a big deal. Well, that was because they were so competitive.

Now you see, Seonghwa says he won, but Hongjoong doesn't think so. That was because he didn't say 'Dad' but instead he had repeated after Hongjoong when he called out 'Seonghwa'.

'That totally counts, he actually said my name.' Seonghwa laughed as he cooed over Jongho, trying to get him to repeat the words.

Hongjoong let out a laugh. 'Uhm, no, it doesn't.' He said and crossed his arms. 'The rule was that he had to say 'Appa' or 'Dad', so you didn't win.'

Seonghwa just rolled his eyes. 'Come on Hongjoong. He literally said my name. That should count.' He spoke, then repeating his name to Jongho in hopes of him repeating it again. Jongho just smiled and waved his spoon around on the table.

Hongjoong pouted for a moment. 'Ok, fine. You get this one, but just because I let you have it.' Seonghwa rose up and wrapped his arms around Hongjoong's waist. He said a sarcastic thank you before kissing Hongjoong's cheek, with a smile on his face. Hongjoong softened a bit. He could let Seonghwa win this time, just to see that smile on his face.

*

'Everything seems to be just fine.' Doctor Lee smiled as she removed her gloves and put them in the trash. San swung his legs up and down as he sat on the examination table, looking over to Hongjoong with big eyes. He was a little nervous, and had been all morning, but the examination was now over so he should relax soon. Hongjoong was proud of how well he behaved, and showed thumbs up from his own seat.

'San has all his shots up to date, and he is growing nicely.' Doctor Lee spoke as she wrote the results on the computer. 'His teeth are also changing like hoped, but if you have anything worrying you- I can get you an appointment at the cat hybrid specializing dentist.' She offered but Hongjoong saw no reason to do so, as San really had no problem with his teeth at the moment.

'Do you have anything else that you would like to ask, or would like to know more about?' Doctor Lee then asked, moving away from her computer with her chair.

Hongjoong thought for a moment. He did have a few questions in his mind, but they weren't really that important at the time. It was about turning, that San would go through in his preteens.

Hongjoong knew a bit about it. Just like werewolves, cat hybrids would go into heats and they would get a role for themselves. They too had the three different roles, omega, beta and alpha. Hybrids would get their first heat a bit earlier than werewolves, so San should get his around the ages of 10-15.

So it was still in the far future, and just like Seonghwa had said multiple times- the kids don't need to worry about it yet. This is something that San doesn't need to hear about just yet, so he can just enjoy being a kid. Hongjoong kindly told Doctor Lee, that he and Seonghwa would be in contact with her when the time is right.

Hongjoong remembers hearing about heats for the first time when he was a teenager. He heard about the phenomenon from a classmate who had apparently dated a hybrid for a while, and experienced a heat with them. This classmate was obviously lying, but he did say some things that stuck with Hongjoong for a while, even up to when he began dating Seonghwa.

He had thought that heats made you a sex needing monster, and that nothing else happened during heats than just sex. Oh was he wrong.

He learned so much about heats after dating Seonghwa, and then marrying him. He got answers to all these questions that he had from that time he first heard about heats as a teenager.

Werewolves and hybrids always had this stigma around them. They did have their first heats at a pretty young age, so that had to mean that they were very sex driven creatures, right? You could not be more wrong.  
Humans matured at a young age as well, and that didn't mean they went a head and lost their virginity immediately. Werewolves and hybrids were the same.

The need to mate and sexual frustration came around the age of 18 for werewolves during their heats. Hybrids had it a bit sooner. So having heats from the age of 10 and up, did not mean you would be having sex. That would be crazy.

Seonghwa was 35 and he still went through heats when he felt absolutely no sexual desire. These kinds of heats were the most common ones. The first few years of having heats were all about growing pains and changes in your body. The desire for sex and mates became much, much later.

But this was something that Hongjoong didn't know before. And a lot of people still don't. So there is a horrible stigma surrounding werewolves and hybrids, as people- humans in general- think of all these horrible things about them.

Hongjoong hoped that people would be more educated on the subject, so that these crazy thoughts about non humans could be forgotten already.

Like Hongjoong and Seonghwa had feared, Yeosang was soon experiencing bullying in school again. This time the information didn't come from Yeosang himself, but from a phone call from a teacher. Hongjoong was called in to the school during the day for a meeting with the teacher and Yeosang about what happened. When he arrived, Yeosang was sitting down on his own seat, looking down at his feet as his teacher stood next to him. Yeosang looked as if he had been crying, and Hongjoong couldn’t help but feel worried.

'He said that San Isn't my brother...' Yeosang explained once Hongjoong asked what had happened, and how he managed to get a cut on his hand. He had apparently started a fight with a fellow classmate who said exactly that.

Hongjoong was in awe. He didn't know what to say.

'The situation is unfortunate, and I understand that, but this conversation is targeted towards Yeosang's violent behavior towards the classmate. The reason behind it, is for a whole other talk.' The teacher explained, and Hongjoong was glad that she seemed to be understanding.

'I think another talk would be good.' Hongjoong then spoke. He would love for the other kid to take responsibility as well, and have his parents attend as well. This was serious and Hongjoong didn't want it to happen again.

'We will arrange one, if you want.' The teacher assured Hongjoong and he nodded his head. He sighed as he turned towards Yeosang. Who still hadn't managed to lift his head up. He had been crying, from the way that his eyes were red and his cheeks had dried streaks on them. Hongjoong felt horrible.

'We will have another talk with the teacher and your classmate, Yeosang.' Hongjoong spoke. 'There we will speak about this more, but right now I want you to just know that hitting someone is never the answer.' He explained, and hoped that he didn't sound too serious. He would hate it if Yeosang got upset at him as well.

Yeosang sniffled and nodded his head. Hongjoong then continued. 'This classmate of yours said something that was very stupid and ignorant, and that made you upset. But you should never get on their level and proceed to use force. I hope you understand that.' Yeosang lifted his head and nodded again.

'I'm sorry for hitting him, Appa. And miss Hong.' Yeosang said, and he looked serious about his apology. Miss Hong nodded her head and smiled.

'You are a very smart kid, Yeosang. Don't make yourself seem dumb by fighting others. Instead come to an adult and speak about your worries instead.' She spoke gently. 'You have amazing parents who will listen to you, and you can always talk to me if you need to. And you should, if anything like this happens again.' She reminded him, and Yeosang understood.

'I will.' He had said before he and Hongjoong left the school.

The car ride home was quiet.

Yeosang played with his fingers nervously in the backseat as he looked everywhere but Hongjoong. Hongjoong wasn't mad, not even one bit. He was actually a bit proud. Yeosang had just defended his family, and spoke very wisely at his teacher. Sure, the hitting part could have been left out, but Hongjoong thought that the other kid deserved it. After all what he had said.

'He is wrong, I hope you know that.' Hongjoong then spoke, breaking the silence in the car as he stopped at a red light. 'He just doesn't understand the way that our family works.' Hongjoong added and saw Yeosang nod his head slightly.

'I felt really angry when he said it.' Yeosang then confessed. 'And he said it in a really mean way as well...' He whispered. Hongjoong could see the way that his lips quivered and how his eyes watered. Hongjoong immediately drove the car to the nearest parking lot and stopped the car.

Yeosang looked at him a bit confused, but realized what he was doing when he hopped off the driver's seat and walked to the back, getting in next to Yeosang. Hongjoong immediately pulled Yeosang into a hug and held him there, letting Yeosang just hug him back.

He wanted Yeosang to know that he wasn't mad at him, and that Seonghwa wouldn't be either. He wanted him to know that the kid at school was wrong, and that Yeosang was right. Mostly, he just wanted him to know that he was loved, and that San indeed was his brother. It wasn't the blood that you shared that made you brothers, but the connection that you had with them. Yeosang and San loved each other to pieces.

'I am proud of you Yeosang.' Hongjoong murmured against Yeosang's hair. He closed his eyes and leaned against him. 'San would be too, for defending him.' Yeosang nodded his head slightly, and sniffled.

'It doesn't matter that he is adopted.' Yeosang then spoke. 'He is still my little brother, that I love very much.' Hongjoong smiled and kissed the top of Yeosang's head.

'He knows that as well. And he loves you back. It would be good if other people knew that as well, so that they wouldn't say such mean things again.' Hongjoong spoke as the two separated from each other.   
Yeosang was no longer crying, but wiped away the fallen tears from his cheeks.

'Yeah. Maybe my teacher could tell my whole class more about adoption, so that they understood better. Some of my other classmates have siblings who have been adopted as well, so it could help them as well.' Yeosang suggested, and Hongjoong agreed.

'That is a really smart idea. I'll have a chat with your teacher about it.' Hongjoong spoke and Yeosang agreed. He offered to help as well, by talking with his teacher about it more.

Seonghwa was a bit upset when he heard the news. Mostly just because he didn't like the fact that Yeosang had been bullied again, and that he had gotten a cut on his hand. It was only a small cut, but it was still there.

Yeosang had been nervous for the rest of the car ride home when Hongjoong told Yeosang that they needed to tell Seonghwa about what happened. He knew that Seonghwa would probably over react, and make a big deal about it, and maybe even be mad at him. But he wasn't. Seonghwa was just mostly worried about him, as these bullying things kept on happening these days. In the end Hongjoong and Yeosang got Seonghwa to believe them on the plan to have the teacher explain the class about adoption, so they would learn more about the subject, and then maybe stop bullying. Seonghwa only agreed on the condition that there still would be a talk held between Yeosang and his bully, with all the parents as well. Yeosang had to agree with his conditions, as he knew that was the only way that Seonghwa would be able to relax around him again. Seonghwa continued to ask him about the situation in school daily, as he worried the same thing had happened again.

The talk held in school was a week after the fight first happened. Hongjoong and Seonghwa took the kids, except Yeosang, over to Hongjoong's parents house for a few hours as they both wanted to be there.  
The bully and both of his parents arrived as well, and they were luckily very understanding and nice people. They understood that their son had said some very hurtful things that had caused the fight in the first place.

The bully apologized for what he had said, and Yeosang apologized for what he had done. There was still clearly an awkward relationship between them, but hopefully they would become friends, and not stay as enemies.

A few days later Yeosang's teacher held a small talk to the whole class about differences. She made sure that all of the kids understood that it was okay that all had something different about them. Everyone was made to be different, and that was what made them all so special and wonderful. It was a very cheesy speech- even for Yeosang- but he understood it.

His bully apologized to him once more, and Yeosang accepted it again. But this time he finally believed that the apology was serious. He no longer fought with this bully, but instead began getting to know him more, as he soon joined his basketball team. Yeosang surprisingly found himself enjoying his company, and soon was able to comfortably call him his friend.

*

'This was supposed to be a special day.' Seonghwa whined as he wiped the snot off of Jongho's face. The infant was sick with a cold, and had a small fever and a runny nose. He was crying a lot, and couldn't sleep. Hongjoong and Seonghwa had tried everything- from keeping the window slightly open in the nursery room for a few minutes every now and then, to having Jongho take soothing baths many times a day. Nothing seemed to help, but the good thing was that he wasn't getting worse. If the fever rises more, then there would be a real problem.

'Seonghwa, honey.' Hongjoong sighed and rubbed his eyes, trying to make himself more awake. 'I don't think that Jongho would even remember his first Christmas after a few years, so I don't think he minds too much.'

Seonghwa pouted and held the sobbing infant. 'Yeah, but it would have been nice to spend a regular nice Christmas day together as a family.' He murmured and swayed from side to side, trying to get Jongho to calm down a bit. It was already late and the kids were asleep.

'I don't think we'll ever have a regular Christmas.' Hongjoong laughed tiredly, as the memories of the past holidays spent together as a family entered his mind. Seonghwa smiled.

The first Christmas as a family, was spent in the hospital, when Yeosang also got sick. He had a high fever that needed the help of medical professionals. It was normal for babies to get sick when they were young, as they built up their immune system- but Seonghwa just hated the fact that it had to be during the holidays when Yeosang got sick.

In the end the holiday was probably the most calm and quiet that they ever would have. Yeosang didn't seem to mind being in the hospital, as he just enjoyed sleeping calmly now that his fever was going down. What also made that day special, was that Seonghwa discovered that his and Hongjoong's attempt at becoming pregnant again, had indeed worked.

Mingi and Yunho's first Christmas was spent at home, and not in the hospital- luckily. Yeosang was one year old, and the twins were a few months old at the time, and there really wasn't much that the two babies could do during the holiday- and just like Hongjoong said, they don't remember anything from it today.

The next two holidays were spent together as five, and as Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho began to grow- they learned to love the holiday. Now Seonghwa and Hongjoong had to learn the sad truth of being a parent during Christmas. You were a walking wallet. These days Hongjoong and Seonghwa have made a strict rule, of allowing the kids to only ask for three gifts from Santa. Yeosang however just goes to Seonghwa and Hongjoong tells them what he would like. He no longer believed in Hongjoong's lies about Santa, and tooth fairy neither.

Next Christmas, Wooyoung and San joined them.

It was hectic and chaotic. Even the 24 hour help of Seonghwa and Hongjoong's parents didn't really do anything. Planning for the holiday with two babies and three toddlers was almost impossible. Seonghwa had to give up and buy all the food, as he couldn't make it himself as it would have needed him to spend hours and hours in the kitchen. Hongjoong wasn't even allowed inside the whole room at the time, because of a recent accident involving peas and a frying pan. You figure it out.

So, even though it was an impossible mission- they somehow made it through.

The kids had surprisingly slept through the whole night, and hadn't tried to stay awake in the hopes of seeing Santa. Yunho really liked to hype his younger siblings about it, and have them stay awake with him, but they usually just ended up falling asleep on Mingi's bed- just like they did this night as well.

Hongjoong smiled as he looked through the crack of the open door, and saw all five squeezed together in the three beds. San had turned around while sleeping and currently had his feet and tail pressed up against Wooyoung's face. The other would surely complain about it in the morning when he woke up. Yeosang on the other hand looked calm, sleeping alone in his own bed. Mingi and Yunho were all tangled up together.

Hongjoong decided not to wake up the kids just yet, and closed the door as he left. He walked downstairs to see Seonghwa already up and ready, preparing for the big dinner. Only Hongjoong's parents would arrive, as they would go visit Seonghwa's parents the next day. It was easier this way, as Seonghwa's parents were very busy during the holidays because of the big family. This way Seonghwa and Hongjoong also didn't have to worry about preparing the house for more people. And the kids liked to go visit their grandparents with a long car ride anyways. Even though Jongho liked to make a fuss during them.

'Did you get the presents out already?' Hongjoong asked as he walked past Seonghwa, into the living room. Seonghwa yelled back something, but Hongjoong couldn't quite hear it. But the fact that there were no presents under the tree meant that he hadn't taken the presents out of the closet already.

Hongjoong then headed back upstairs and went into the main bedroom, and opened the closet. Under all of Seonghwa's blankets and pillows, were the Christmas presents for the kids that they had got during the last few months.

Hongjoong was careful while moving the presents, and made sure not to make too much with the wrapped packages. He was sure that if he made one wrong move with the precious packages, the kids would wake up and Hongjoong would soon find himself in a tricky situation of having to explain to the kids why their father was carrying Santa's gifts. Memories of wrapping the gifts a few weeks ago rushed Hongjoong's mind, as he thought about the time when he was almost caught by Wooyoung and San.

Somehow, Hongjoong managed to move all the gifts downstairs without waking anyone up. He walked to Seonghwa, proudly, after succeeding with the hard mission.

He cooed as he made his way to Jongho who was seated on the high chair at the end of the table. Jongho was currently learning to use a spoon, and he still had a long way to go, as he only liked to hold it the wrong way and usually throw it across the table. In the end he liked to just use his fingers and make a big mess. This time was no different.

'Look's delicious.' Hongjoong laughed as he began wiping away the mashed bananas on Jongho's face and hands.

'I tried stopping him but gave up in the end. He needs a bath after all.' Seonghwa laughed as he looked back at the two while working over the stove. Even though he couldn't do all of the food, Seonghwa still liked to cook some of the holiday dishes. The rest would be bought, or Hongjoong's mother brought some from their home.

Hongjoong really appreciated the effort that Seonghwa put out every time. He would get tired and exhausted while doing all of this, but he still did it without complaining. He wanted everything to be special for the kids, and Hongjoong loved him for that.

Hongjoong never really celebrated the holidays, as his parents didn't find it that special. His father actually used to hate the whole day with all his heart, and that reflected onto all of them. These days his father tolerates the holiday cheer around him, and sometimes even shows it himself.

Hongjoong doesn't know how to cook. Not even after all these years of Seonghwa trying to make him learn some of the basics. He has come to the conclusion that he will never master the ways of making edible food. Now that he thinks about it, he wonders how he managed to stay alive before meeting Seonghwa. What did he even eat back then?'

So, Hongjoong doesn't really bring a lot to the table during the holidays. As it really is all about food and the presents. And Seonghwa usually makes the gift list in the end as he likes to make sure everything will be bought, and that nothing will be forgotten.

Hongjoong has to participate by cleaning, and then cleaning some more. But he doesn't mind. He knows that even if it causes Seonghwa stress and a few grey hairs- he still enjoys planning for the holidays, as he takes it very seriously. Like so seriously that if there was a competition for who plans a Christmas day the best, Seonghwa would probably win.

Seonghwa sighed as he held onto Jongho while looking out of the window into the front yard. He saw the mess that Hongjoong was currently in, while trying to hang up the last few twinkle lights. He chuckled as he could clearly see the way Hongjoong's lips formed out a few curse words as he threw the lights onto the ground in frustration.

Seonghwa too went through the same thing last night, before he gave up and decided to leave the job for Hongjoong. Seonghwa quickly placed Jongho in his small play pen and made sure that the kids hadn't left anything in it. He got out his jacket, put it on and joined Hongjoong on the yard.

'Yeosang hyung.' Yunho whined as he shook his brother awake. Yeosang groaned for a moment and tried to roll over to his other side so he wouldn't have to deal with Yunho bothering his sleep.

'What is it?' He then finally asked as Yunho didn't give up.

'Appa and Dad are rolling in the snow in the front yard.' Well, that made him wake up.

This clearly wasn't how Seonghwa thought their Christmas day would begin, but he wasn't really complaining either. In fact, he was trying not to die of laughter as he was currently being tickled on the ground by five pairs of small hands.

Hongjoong watched from the side with a wide grin while holding Jongho against his chest. The infant seemed to be a bit confused about what was happening, but smiled as Hongjoong laughed at the sight on the lawn.

After being satisfied of seeing Seonghwa being tortured by their children, Hongjoong ordered the kids to leave him alone and get back inside- as they weren't wearing any proper clothes and Seonghwa looked like he was going to explode at any given moment because his face got so red.

Seonghwa pouted because Hongjoong didn't save him sooner, but he didn't stay mad for long. They had so much to do that he didn't have the time to hold a grudge.

They ate breakfast at a record speed that morning. Not even the fact that the kids noticed the presents under the three slowed them down, as Seonghwa pretty much pushed them all out of the door. First thing on the to-do-list was to go see Santa at the local supermarket. Seonghwa knew it was horrible, but he wanted to take the cringy pictures of the kids sitting on Santa's lap that they could laugh about when the kids got older.

Yeosang would sigh, roll his eyes, and then do what Seonghwa told him to do. He would pout during the picture, or then make a funny face when Seonghwa told him to cheer up. Seonghwa was happy as long as they got the pic.

Yunho would make some odd conditions in order to take the picture next to the 'weird bearded man' and this year it was that Hongjoong had to be next to him as well. Hongjoong just glared at Seonghwa when the elder agreed immediately. Hongjoong had to just suck it up and sit next to the very confused Santa, while Yunho smiled widely now that he got what he wanted.

Mingi was terrified, and usually ended up in tears as soon as he sat in Santa’s lap, but still somehow agrees to do it each year. Perhaps because Yunho went before him and he wanted to do everything his twin also did.

Seonghwa actually felt bad for Santa when it was Wooyoung's and San's turn. The boys immediately ran up to the paid actor and almost ripped off his fake beard while climbing onto his lap. It took a long time before they got the picture, and Hongjoong didn't miss the way Santa glared back at him after he was freed from the two kids.

Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were surprised that Jongho didn't cry while sitting in Santa's lap. All the other kids had cried when they first met the strange man for the first time, and Mingi had the habit of still breaking into tears at the sight of the fictional character. But Jongho just looked up at the odd looking old man with big eyes and an open mouth. Seonghwa tried to get his attention for the picture, but Jongho was way too fascinated by the odd red fabric on Santa's clothes. Seonghwa took the picture, and it ended up being the best one of the first meetings with Santa.

Next stop was at the local park, where you could see the big Christmas tree in the middle of the park, and the many lights that were decorating the whole park. The lights didn't look that great just yet, as it wasn't dark yet, but you could still see them well. The kids liked them as well, and they all stopped to look at the different structures built from wire and different colors of lights.

Yunho's favorite was the sleigh and the reindeer in front of it, as Yeosang and San liked the big gingerbread man. Wooyoung took a liking to an elf, and Jongho was just amazed at all of the sparkling stuff around him.

Next up was a bathroom break that lasted for way too long, almost taking them away from Seonghwa's very precise schedule, but not quite. They still managed to get to Hongjoong's parents house at time. Hongjoong's mother greeted them at the door, dressed in a tight red dress that just hit her knees. Seonghwa sometimes wondered how the older lady managed to dress in such a way, but there really was no other way that she would dress in the end. She had very high standards when it came to clothing, and Seonghwa had learned that through the kids. Hongjoong's mother loved to judge the way that he and Hongjoong dressed the kids, even though the kids did most of the dressing these days, except for Jongho. Soon he would also choose his weird color combination of clothes to wear to daycare.

She didn't seem to mind the way San's pants definitely didn't go with the sweater that he was wearing as she hugged him.

Hongjoong tried to stop Yunho from attacking his father, but was too slow as the 6 year old already ran past him and jumped on his grandfather's lap. His father let out a laugh as he was pushed back by the short boy jumping on him. He didn't mind at all, even though Hongjoong worried a bit.

His father wasn't in his best shape anymore. He suffered a heart attack last year, that made him bedridden for a long time, and he had to stop working for a while as well. He recovered well, but he never got back to his old self, and Hongjoong couldn't help but worry even though his father said not to.

'Yunho-ah, be careful.' Hongjoong reminded the exited boy as he took Jongho out of his seat. Hongjoong's mother immediately stole the toddler from him.

Yunho looked up at his grandpa before letting go of him. 'Is it your heart?' The boy then asked, as he remembered the time Seonghwa and Hongjoong had told him about the situation, in a very kid friendly way.

'My heart has never been better.' Hongjoong's father smiled and messed with Yunho's hair. Yunho smiled wider, before taking off, probably running into the big living room.

Hongjoong smiled as he watched Yeosang also hug his father, and Wooyoung followed shyly.

Oh, how had times changed.

'That's quite the team you have there.'

Seonghwa turned around to see Hongjoong's father stand behind him, smiling, as he brought over his empty plate.

They had soon left Hongjoong's parents house and came back to their house to eat Christmas dinner. They all were finishing up eating, and Seonghwa was the first one to take his empty plate into the kitchen, even after Hongjoong's mother said she would take care of the kitchen today.

'Yep.' Seonghwa laughed and placed his plate into the dishwasher.

Hongjoong's father handed Seonghwa his plate and cutlery, before turning to look into the living room, where all the kids had now moved into. Seonghwa would have apologized for whatever just broke in the room, from the noise of something falling and San screaming after, but he didn't get the chance.

'I hope you know how important you are to us- me and my wife- Seonghwa.' Hongjoong's father suddenly spoke, never taking his eyes away from the kids. 'We never say it out loud. But we mean it. We tell that to Hongjoong, and the kids a lot, but we have never said it to you.'

Seonghwa stayed still and listened. Somewhere in his mind- he had always known this, in some way. But just like he said, Seonghwa had never actually heard it coming from them. It was nice.

'I know.' Seonghwa smiled.

'I'm glad that you do.' Hongjoong's father laughed and now looked at him. 'It hadn't always been so clear. Not from the start.' He reminded Seonghwa, and he was correct.

They avoided Hongjoong and Seonghwa at the beginning. They abandoned Hongjoong, and promised to never keep any contact with him. They called Seonghwa all those horrible names. They hoped that their marriage would have failed. They did many things that weren't always so easy to forgive. But now, almost 8 years later- Seonghwa hardly remembers those days at all.

'It wasn't.' Seonghwa agreed. 'But somehow we made it work.'

'You two seem to have that gift. Of making things work out in the end.' Seonghwa had to agree that he was right.

'I always just seem to be apologizing to you- for a reason, but... I feel like a thank you should be said as well.' He spoke and turned to Seonghwa.

'So, thank you, Seonghwa.' He smiled. 'For taking us as we were, and making us a part of your family. Thank you for being the adult in situations and pointing us in the right direction. Because of you- we got our son back. And we got so much more as well.' He murmured.

'We got Yeosang. We got Yunho and Mingi. We got Wooyoung and San, and we even got Jongho.' He spoke with trouble. 'But, most importantly... We got you.' He managed to get out before Seonghwa attacked him with a hug.

'Thank you Seonghwa.' He murmured out again, and Seonghwa let out a small laugh, feeling tears at the corners of his eyes.

'No, thank you.'

*

Hongjoong looked up through his reading glasses and saw as Seonghwa basically dragged himself into the bedroom. Hongjoong set his book down next to him and removed his glasses, placing them next to the black covered book.

'You should have said that you were tired.' Hongjoong scolded him as Seonghwa crawled under the covers. 'I could have taken your place.' He reminded the elder as he moved closer to himself, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong's middle.

'I wanted to take care of him by myself.' Seonghwa said, and yawned right after, closing his eyes. Hongjoong laughed, as that was exactly like something that Seonghwa would do. Hongjoong had already taken care of all the other boys, and bathed them in the bathroom downstairs, while Seonghwa took care of Jongho upstairs. Usually Hongjoong would have gotten the harder job- but as Jongho thought it would be fun to pee in the bathwater, Seonghwa soon realized his job had gotten a bit harder than expected.

'And I wanted you to get some time for yourself as well. So I didn't want to bother by asking for help.' Seonghwa murmured, already sounding very sleepy. 'And I got the situation under control- like always- so there wasn't even really a problem.' He stated, and Hongjoong smiled and squeezed around him, causing him to whine.

'I really, really love you.' Hongjoong spoke as he kissed Seonghwa's nose twice. Seonghwa whined again, but his lips curved up at the gesture.

He sighed, tired. 'I guess, I love you too.'

Hongjoong knew that he was tired, and wasn't probably very happy with him annoying him like this. But he couldn't help it, he loved to annoy the other.

'Do you know why I love you?' Hongjoong cooed, and if he could see in the dark- Seonghwa would have surely rolled his eyes.

'Because I'm awesome.' Seonghwa stated tiredly against Hongjoong's side.

'True. Very true.' Hongjoong smiled. 'But there are even more reasons why I love you.' Hongjoong spoke and without even noticing it himself- he had found Seonghwa's hand and began playing with his fingers, and the old ring on his finger.

That ring had taken quite the beating during these 10 years. Hongjoong even once offered that maybe they should get new rings for themselves but Seonghwa would have none of it. He loved that old, cheap ring to bits. And he had continued to wear it non stop, just like Hongjoong.

Hongjoong swallowed. 'I love the fact that you gave me another chance- back then when I ran off of your old apartment, when you first told me about yourself. If it wasn't for that second chance, then maybe we wouldn't be here right now.'

'Yeah. Maybe then I could be asleep and enjoying my-'

'Shut up- I’m trying to be nice here.' Hongjoong cut him off and held onto his hand more tightly. He went through the words that he had said before in his head, before continuing.

'I love you, for making me happy by saying yes to my proposal- even when you thought it was stupid at first. You still knew that it meant a lot to me.' Hongjoong murmured, voice low and soothing.

'I love you, for always having the answers and support when it came to my work. Without you, I would have never pursued my current career- and I honestly could not think of my life without my music.'

'I love you, for having the courage and the nerve, to take the big step for the both of us in starting a family together. I could not imagine myself at your role during the time, when we first began planning for it. You were so brave to say 'yes' and take the role of being the carrier of our children.'

Hongjoong sighed. 'I also love you for never giving up, during that time. That year was no joke the hardest year that we went through. But we went through it together, with you leading me through. You never gave up- and that is why, in the end we got Yeosang.'

'I love you, for deciding to go through that painful process again, and again. Four times. I honestly can't say that I could have done the same, because I am sure that I could have not.' Hongjoong laughed as Seonghwa called him a wuss under his breath.

Hongjoong sunk deeper into the pillows and brought his other hand up from under the covers and placed it in Seonghwa's hair. That hand began smoothing down the strands of hairs that were still wet from the shower Seonghwa had just before coming to bed. His other hand wouldn't let go of Seonghwa's hand.

Hongjoong felt Seonghwa calm down again. 'I love you,' He then continued. 'because you made the decision to adopt. I didn't like the idea at first, but you made me change my mind- and if it wasn't for that- we wouldn't have gotten San.'

Hongjoong stopped for a moment. 'You have been there for me for all these years. You were there when I felt like nothing I did worked out, and you always made things better.'

'You were the reason why I became happier, and more myself. You opened my human eyes to see a whole other world, and you let me in your own world. You taught me a lot about different people, and you made me so much more smarter than I was before. You made me less selfish and more loving towards other people.'

'You also gave me the most precious gift of all. Being able to call myself a father and a husband. A great one, as well.' Hongjoong smiled. 'But none of that would have happened if it wasn't for you.'  
'It was always thanks to you.' He added with a whisper.

Without himself even noticing it, Hongjoong had tears running down his cheeks. But that was okay. He didn't mind the tears now. It was okay to cry sometimes. Hongjoong brought his hand to wipe away the tears, and hoped that he didn't disturb Seonghwa too much with the movement. It didn't look like it, from the way that the elder stayed still with his eyes closed.

Hongjoong sniffled before he sunk deeper into the pillows, making himself comfortable in Seonghwa's arms. He turned to face him and snuggled his face in the other's neck. Seonghwa smelled like himself and the soap that he liked to always use. He smelled sweet and soft, like just washed laundry. There also was a hint of something spicy- maybe cinnamon.

Seonghwa, smelled like home.

He snuggled in deeper and felt Seonghwa move slightly, moving his arms around him. The elder pressed his face at the top of Hongjoong's head, and he could feel the way his breath moved his hair and tickled him slightly.

Hongjoong listened to his heartbeat and breathing, finding a calming rhythm. If he would manage to open his eyes, he would be able to see the old mark on Seonghwa's shoulder that he left there many years ago. It had faded a tiny bit, but it would never disappear. And if it did- Seonghwa would always still feel the touch that lingered there, and he'd never be able to forget it. Hongjoong sighed, with a tiny smile.

This was truly happiness.

Here he was, laying next to the man he loved the most in the whole world. In a house that they found together and made it their home. In that home they lived with their six amazing children. Life could not be any better. Seonghwa knew that as well.

Seonghwa pressed a kiss to Hongjoong's forehead, before they both drifted into sleep.

'I love you.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: @NE0_ClTY


	3. Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like i should add the ages of the kids in the beginning of each remaining chapter to help make things easier, so here we go.  
> yeosang 11-12y  
> mingi and yunho 10-11y  
> san and wooyoung 8-9y  
> jongho 4-5y

Seonghwa sighed as he looked at the backseat of the van through the mirror.

San had his arms crossed and lips formed in a tight pout. He avoided Seonghwa's eyes and looked outside the window instead. His feet kept a rhythm with the music on the radio. Yunho didn't appreciate the tapping of his feet against his seats back, so he turned the music off. San glared at him and showed him his tongue. He had been acting very snappy- especially after Yunho won a game of rock-paper-scissors and got to sit at the front seat. Mingi was even more unhappy, being left at the back with the two younger siblings.

'Now, San, if Yunho wants to turn off the radio- that is fine. Don't be mean to your big brother.' Seonghwa murmured as he started the car.

San murmured something under his breath, but Seonghwa couldn't hear it because of the old engine in the car. They really should get a new car.

'Dad! He called you stupid!' Wooyoung then screamed from the other seat, and San looked at him horrified.

'You tattletale!' San screeched before attempting to grab Wooyoung from his sleeve. Mingi let out a dramatic gasp as Wooyoung screamed loudly and Seonghwa rolled his eyes before stopping the car- even before they got to leave the school parking lot.

'Everyone, stop.' Seonghwa spoke, raising his voice. He turned back to look at the two, currently all over each other. Mingi looking quite innocent. 'You.' He pointed at San, who now let go of Wooyoung. 'You better start acting good now before it's too late. You might think I have forgotten about what happened today- but Appa surely hasn't. So you might want to start thinking about your choices now before it's too late.'

'Did you tell Appa as well?' San asked, completely forgetting about everything else Seonghwa just said.

'The school called us both.' Seonghwa murmured, turning back to the wheel. 'Like they always do.' He added, reminding San. The boy just sighed and sunk back into his seat. Wooyoung did the same, annoyed that he didn't get to annoy his brother anymore as Seonghwa warned him about it. The rest of the ride home was silent.

'You don't mind if I stop by the studio building, do you?' Hongjoong asked as he turned the car onto the brand new road. In front they both could see the new high building that was built there just a few months ago. There were still some things undone with it, but it was almost complete. Yeosang excitedly nodded his head and took off his sweatband from practice.

Yeosang loved to visit Hongjoong at his workplace. And now that Hongjoong decided to start his own company- he liked it even more. He had seen the new building a few times, but never from the inside, as it hadn't been ready yet. Now you could finally go inside, and all that was missing were a few paint jobs from some rooms and some electrical work, but other than that the three story high studio building was ready.

Yeosang walked fast next to Hongjoong as they walked to the door. Hongjoong proudly searched for his keys in his pocket and then opened the glass door into the building.

Yeosang knew how much Hongjoong fought for this place. It had taken almost 4 years to get everything ready to start building the place. Hongjoong ended his contract with KQ entertainment, and started the long process of starting his own company. It took a while, but he got there in the end. Now, he could start a whole new exiting chapter in his career. Hongjoong hoped that his own company would bring something new into his life.

Yeosang looked at the huge lobby with big eyes and an open mouth.

'I don't think the elevator works yet, so we need to use the stairs.' Hongjoong laughed and looked back at Yeosang. 'Let's go see the offices and studios, huh?' He asked while keeping the door open and Yeosang smiled and ran to him.

The second floor had a few offices and a communal space for future workers as well as the bathrooms and what not. It also had Hongjoong's studio and office in it. The rest of the studios and record rooms were upstairs, but they didn't have any of the equipment in it yet.

'There isn't much yet.' Hongjoong murmured and sat on his old desk that was brought into the new room already. 'I might need to go shopping for some furniture soon.' Hongjoong laughed.

Yeosang hummed and looked out of the big window onto the road below. He could see Hongjoong's car and the people walking past the building.

'Can I work here someday?' Yeosang then suddenly asked and turned to his father.

Hongjoong smiled and pretended to think about it very seriously. Yeosang whined and Hongjoong let out a laugh. 'How about you try to get through elementary school first? Maybe then we will think about it again.' He said and the 11 year old looked a bit sad for a moment before cheering up.

'Deal.' He said, seriously, and proceeded to shake Hongjoong's hand.

Hongjoong laughed and shook his head. 'Come on, let's go get Jongho from preschool.'

*

'Why is hyung sad?' The 4 year old asked with that cute lisp of his. Jongho continued to stuff his face with food as he looked over to San on the other side of the dinner table.

San pouted and refused to eat his dinner. Seonghwa had tried to get him to eat, but then let him have his way. The boy wouldn't die of starvation even if he missed one dinner. If he wanted to sulk- then go ahead.

'Your hyung was being bad at school, again.' Seonghwa murmured and took a mouthful of his own food. He saw the way that San looked at him, but missed the way he made a face at him once he turned his eyes away.

'We will talk about it later, San.' Hongjoong reminded the other and turned back to the others. 'How was everyone else's day?' He asked.

Yeosang already told him about his day during the car ride, and had found out that he scored a few points during a basketball game at school. And that his team won the game against the other school, which meant that their team would advance into the next round, and they would get to battle for the cup against all the leading schools.  
Yeosang really learned to love basketball in these few years, and he also learned to be pretty good at it. And by pretty good, Hongjoong of course meant that he was the best of the best. Seriously, he was good.

He had seen almost all of his games and really saw some talent in him. Yeosang too enjoyed the game a lot and didn't mind the endless hours of practice during the week after school. He found the sport fun and enjoyable. Hongjoong, as a former nerd, couldn't really identify with that himself. He was pretty good at football however, yet didn’t feel like continuing that hobby into his adulthood. 

'The new dance teacher thought I was really good!' Yunho spoke after Yeosang told Seonghwa as well how his day was. Seonghwa of course was just as exited as Hongjoong was. He was really happy for Yeosang, and hoped that he would keep playing the sport for as long as possible as he enjoyed it so much.

'Yunho that's great!' Seonghwa and Hongjoong both said.

Yunho smiled and nodded his head. 'She really liked my style, and said that I danced really well. She hoped that I would continue dancing for a long time.' Yunho explained and Seonghwa and Hongjoong had to agree.

Yunho started dancing a few years ago, as a friend from school started as well. Yunho wanted to see what the class was like, and ended up falling in love with the art. Even after Yunho's friend left the class, and when the teacher changed- Yunho stayed. He was in too deep already, he lived and breathed everything to do with dancing by now.

Yunho was always a very happy and talkative kid, but he somehow got even more happy and talkative once he started dancing. It made him so happy and he loved it. It also helped him with school, as he got to let out all his energy and frustration during dancing class, so he could focus more in school. If only the same had worked on San as well.

'I got 100 points on my test.' Wooyoung added proudly. Hongjoong patted him on the back and praised him. Seonghwa told him how proud he was, and reminded him how good it was that he practiced for the test so well.

Somewhere during this conversation, San decided that he had enough. He pushed his plate back, got up and walked out of the conversation and the room.

*

Hongjoong looked up from Jongho's book and watched as Seonghwa sat on the seat free on the other side of the table. The four year old didn't seem to be disturbed by him joining, and kept on looking through the picture book full of farm animals.

'Is it my turn this time?' Hongjoong asked as he heard Seonghwa sigh loudly and rub his face with the palms of his hands.

'That's why I came. I think that maybe we should talk to him together.' Seonghwa murmured and looked at the other. He looked tired, and Hongjoong wouldn't blame him.

'God,' Seonghwa sighed and hid his face into his hands. 'I feel like such a bad guy.' He must have been talking about what happened during dinner and in the car ride from school.

'You're not.' Hongjoong spoke. 'You're really not. San knows that as well, at some level. He might not think so right now, but he will at some point.' Hongjoong reminded Seonghwa. The older didn't look too satisfied with his words, but they at least brought some comfort.

Being a parent wasn't always easy. It wasn't all about laughter and compliments. Both Hongjoong and Seonghwa had heard a few mean words and even some curses thrown at them at some point. The kids never meant it in the end, but it still hurt. But it hurt the kid more, if they even had to say it in the first place.

Seonghwa knew he was strict sometimes. Actually, quite a lot these days. It was because all of the kids, except for Jongho, had started school. He wanted them to do well, and sometimes he acted more like a teacher than a parent. Hongjoong too sometimes realized himself doing the same. It was hard trying to balance being a loving and supporting parent as well as keeping the kids in order, without hurting their feelings at the same time. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong had a lot to learn when it came to this, especially with San.

So, Seonghwa and Hongjoong decided that they needed to have a conversation with San as three. Jongho luckily wasn't offended at all that he needed to look through his book alone. He happily took his place on the couch and looked through the book, while Seonghwa and Hongjoong headed up stairs.

They knocked and entered Wooyoung's and San's room. Both of the boys were there as well as Yeosang. They were looking through the oldest one's phone, watching some video on it. San had been laughing with his brothers, but stopped as soon as he noticed the two enter the room.

'Yeosang and Wooyoung, could you leave for a minute?' Hongjoong then started. 'We will have small talk with San.' He added and the two then began moving. Yeosang took his phone with him and left the bedroom with Wooyoung behind him.

San pouted as he was left alone on the bed. He looked back at the door and probably wondered if he too could escape the room somehow. Seonghwa was just glad that he didn't think about the open window next to him. He had stupidly jumped out of it before, when Mingi dared him to- as they both wondered it San would land on his feet in true cat fashion. Well, he did. He just ended up breaking one ankle in the process.

San had cried a bit. Mingi on the other hand could not stop crying. He felt so guilty and only began feeling better once he had managed to force Seonghwa to punish him in some way. He had to give three of his toys to San, and he promised to clean his and his brothers room for three months.

San crossed his arms as Seonghwa and Hongjoong sat next to him on the bed. San lifted his feet up on the bed and hugged his knees closer to his chest. His tail swung back and forth on the mattress behind him, nervously.

Hongjoong looked at the boy for a moment before glancing over to Seonghwa, who was looking straight at him. Hongjoong then got the hint and cleared his throat.

'San-ah.' He started and got the boys attention. 'Would you like to explain to us what happened in school today?' He then asked and Seonghwa also nodded his head.

'Didn't you both already get the call from my teacher..?' San murmured, his voice blocked because his face was hidden in his arms and legs. He was trying to get out of the situation by hiding.

'We did.' Seonghwa explained. 'But we would like to hear your side of the story.'

San sighed before letting his feet fall straight onto the mattress.

'I hit a kid because they made fun of me.' He explained, very simply. Seonghwa immediately turned to look at Hongjoong and sighed.

'Why did you hit them?' He then asked. San answered shortly, by explaining that his classmate had annoyed him. Seonghwa furrowed his brows and asked him to explain with more details. San had gotten himself into trouble at school before, and there were many reasons why he did some of the things that he did. Him saying that he did it just because he was annoyed didn't really tell much.

San moved on his spot a bit, looking quite uncomfortable. He brought his tail into his lap and began playing with the long hair on the tip of the extra limb. He murmured something under his breath that both Seonghwa and Hongjoong missed.

'What was that-'

'I said, that they called me retarded.' San then spoke out, voice loud and clear. He looked at both Seonghwa and Hongjoong, who now stayed quiet. San swallowed, before continuing.

'He called me retarded, because I have a personal assistant at school and because I have to eat meds.' He added while playing with his tail. 'So I hit him. To make him quiet.'

Seonghwa and Hongjoong stayed quiet for a moment, before Seonghwa couldn't handle it anymore.

'Christ.' Seonghwa whispered before breaking into tears. Hongjoong, who sat next to him, blinked a few times.

Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong had known that San had it hard at school. Before attending school, San was diagnosed with ADD and dyslexia that affected his reading and writing so much that he wasn't at the same level as other kids his age. When starting school, San needed an assistant during class, so he could do everything else that all the other kids did.

His assistant, Sooyoung, was a lovely young lady that really helped San a lot during school. She made sure that San did all his assignments and she helped him learn to read and write. San was now 8 and in third grade, and he learned to write his own name correctly a few months ago. Wooyoung reached this goal before he was six.  
It was wrong to compare San to others, like Wooyoung for example, but Seonghwa and Hongjoong couldn't help it. In the end they still always kept in mind that San was a bit different and that he learned things differently, and in the end it didn't really matter when he would learn these things- because as long as he would learn- it was okay with them. But the school district thought differently.

They couldn't be having a 'disabled' kid in their school. That would be just silly.

Disabled kids had their own place, and it definitely wasn't a school that cared so much about the average test results that the kids had to go through yearly. San was behind in the system, and the school didn't like it. So, as they couldn't come up with anything else- San stayed in the same class as everyone with his disadvantages and he would get an assistant to help him.

San also began eating medicine for his ADD, and after searching for a working pill with the doctors for over a year, they finally found a pill that didn't make San even more hyper, or so sleepy that he couldn't function properly for more than five hours.

Up until now, both Seonghwa and Hongjoong thought that the system had been working.

'I'm sorry.' San panicked as Seonghwa bursted into tears. 'I promise not to do it again. Please don't be mad at me.' He promised, but Seonghwa just waved his hand, while trying to calm himself down.

'It's not you who I'm mad at.' Seonghwa finally got out of himself, between the cries. 'Oh, come here.' Seonghwa moaned and opened his arms, San immediately running into them.

Hongjoong sighed as he sunk deeper in his seat.

He really thought that it was over. That San finally would get to be normal, and live a normal life. He must have been wrong.

Hongjoong still remembers the day that he picked San and Wooyoung up from school one day, when the two had just started and were in first grade.

The talk, about adoption, hadn't surfaced in this way ever before, so it caught Hongjoong of guard when San began crying in the car ride home suddenly. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong hated the fact that they hadn't talked about adoption to San before, as he now had to learn about it from the mean kids at school. They had wished that they would have gotten to have the first talk with San, instead of those kids in the playground. They wished that they would have gotten to explain it first, in a gentle fashion. But they never got to it, because they were afraid.

Now, despite what anyone else might say, San was a smart kid. He could connect one and two together and he realized some things better than 'normal' kids. He knew that something was up, but he didn't just know what that something was. Not until he saw a bunch of kids laugh at his direction at school one day.

'Wooyoung, why does your Dad take San with you to home everyday?' Some kid had asked Wooyoung during lunch. San was a bit offended, as he was right there as well and could have answered the question as well- but they chose to ask Wooyoung instead.

Wooyoung stuffed his face into a sandwich and looked at the kid, dumbfounded. 'Because he is my brother.' He simply answered.

Wooyoung didn't realize that there was an odd silence that fell into the small group of kids, before he managed to look up from his food. Everyone was looking at him like he should have been the one with the assistant.

'No he isn't.' Someone laughed and Wooyoung raised a brow while swallowing. San was honestly just too confused to say anything, so he stayed quiet.

'He is a hybrid. You are not.' Someone else added and Wooyoung looked at everyone. Everyone looked back, waiting for his answer.

'He is still my brother.' Wooyoung answered, hoping that would make everyone quiet down. It didn't.

This started a long, unnecessary, conversation about the two brothers that both Wooyoung and San didn't like. They were both confused.

How could they even ask something like that? Nothing in the whole world was more clearer to the then 7 year old Wooyoung. San was his little brother, and he was his older brother. Always was, always will be. Nothing could ever make Wooyoung think differently.

San's beliefs, however, took a hit that day.

Hongjoong, Seonghwa and San went through a three hour long talk that evening. They all cried. They all said some things that weren't maybe for the best at the time. San said some mean things, as he was angry, and he had the right to say them at the time.

He also regretted the things that he said soon, and they all apologized. They all cried again. Seonghwa and Hongjoong explained everything that they could to San, and even when they thought that the seven year old couldn't possibly handle any more information- he needed more answers.

He was confused, so it was expected. This was a whole new thing that he had never heard about before. Still, somewhere in his heart and brain- he knew that some things hadn't always made sense. This finally cleared some of those things up.

In the end, they managed to change those sad tears into happy ones. At the end of the day- all San had to know was that he was loved. He was loved so much. By his parents, siblings and other family members. It didn't matter how he joined their family because all that mattered was that he got there in the first place.

At the end of the day, and when San was going asleep, he remembered the key things; he belonged in this family as much as everyone else, and he was loved so, so much.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong called the school the next morning. They told them that both Wooyoung and San would be taking a day off, and during that day, they wished to get another call from the teacher herself- apologizing for the situation, and a promise that this would not happen ever again. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were 100% ready to already change their class, and maybe even the whole school that they went to. They deserved something much better than this.

And just like Hongjoong and Seonghwa hoped, the day off from school and a visit at the local amusement park totally made the boys forget what happened yesterday. Wooyoung hadn't been there during the talk, but had gotten to hear the problem from San and wasn't happy to hear that he was being bullied by their classmates.  
Later that evening, just when Seonghwa and Hongjoong were beginning to lose hope- they got a call from Wooyoung's and San's teacher.

She did a lot of apologizing, but most importantly- there also was a promise. A promise that neither San or Wooyoung would ever have to come back home after being bullied in her class.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong, desperate as they were, took her promise. They would hate it if the promise would be broken. Not for them, but for San's and Wooyoung's sake.

*

'Looks nice.' A voice spoke and Hongjoong turned around to see no one other than Gyu Uk standing there at the door.

Hongjoong laughed and looked at the office room. 'There is still a lot missing.' He spoke and Gyu Uk nodded his head. 'But it still looks nice.' He added and stepped inside the almost empty office room.

There was a comfortable silence. There really wasn't a need to talk, and both Hongjoong and Gyu Uk didn't feel awkward with the silence that fell between them. But Hongjoong still wanted to break that silence, as he was sure that Gyu Uk didn't come here just to look at the furniture and the empty walls.

'I'll gather all of my things pretty soon.' Hongjoong started, getting Gyu Uk's attention. 'I wouldn't want my things to be in anyone's way in the old studio.' He murmured and Gyu Uk shook his head with a small smile.

'They aren't in anyone's way.' He assured him. 'No one has even entered that room after you left. I'm not even sure if anyone will take it after you.' He sadly confessed.  
Hongjoong hummed under his breath and looked down at his hands. This was odd. Being in a situation like this. If you would have asked Hongjoong 5 years ago when he renewed his contract- if he would be leaving KQ entertainment- he would have said no in a heartbeat. Now, he thinks differently.

Those 15 years spent in the company were the best 15 years of Hongjoong's life. He could have not gotten a better place to work at, and he is honestly so grateful for all the opportunities and chances that he got while working for Gyu Uk.

He gave him amazing information on music and producing, and even some few ones on being a parent. Hongjoong will never forget the help that he got from the other. Gyu Uk knows this as well.

The ending of Hongjoong's contract did not mean the end of their relationship. Now, they would just no longer be a boss and his worker. They would have to call themselves friends from now on.

'It's going to be really weird not having you around.' Gyu Uk laughed. 'You have been there since the beginning, and you truly helped the company grow to something it never could have been without your help.' He murmured.

Hongjoong smiled. 'You sound like i'm about to die, or something.'

'Yeah, i'm probably overreacting a bit.' He laughed, before stepping a bit closer. 'I know that this isn't definitely the last that i'll see and hear of you. I'll be hearing great things about your company- i'm sure of that.'

'Yeah, and you'll probably still see my ugly face all the time because of birthdays and such.' Hongjoong laughed, as it was true. He and Gyu Uk saw each other off work all the time. This really wasn't a goodbye for ever. Gyu Uk just wouldn't be seeing Hongjoong daily anymore, in his odd state of just being woken up and driven himself to the studio in sweatpants. Now, he would have to see him dressed the same in some other place, like the bar that they had a few drinks at every now and then.

'That is true.' Gyu Uk had to admit. 'Maybe I have been seeing you too much, that's all.' He murmured and Hongjoong smiled. Then there was that same silence again. Gyu Uk was the one to break it this time.

'Thank you, Hongjoong.' He spoke. 'For everything- really. For saving the company, and for staying in for all of those years. You really helped the company and everyone involved in it. Without you- most of the workers wouldn't be here right now, as sad as it seems. They all really indebted and so am I because of what you did for us.'

Hongjoong slowly nodded his head. He had heard this before- but only from Gyu Uk when he had a few too many drinks at the company party. He would say the same things, but the fact that he now said it without the slur caused by the alcohol- really made a difference. It was nice to hear.

'No one owes me anything, really. I did my own part of working in the company, and the others worked just as hard as I did.' Hongjoong reminded him. 'And if anything, it is me who should be thanking you.'

'So, thank you. For taking me into the company, as someone who had no other experience of composing and writing before. You actually took the time and went through my samples and saw something in me that even I didn't really notice at the time. You gave me a chance when no one else would.' Hongjoong spoke as he pulled the other in for a hug. 'You turned into a father figure over the years, and helped me with my own relationship and my children. You were such a big help, and I hope you know that this isn't the end. I just moved on to see if I too could pursue my own company.'

'That was probably one of the best decisions that I ever made.' Gyu Uk spoke as he patted Hongjoong on the back. 'Starting KQ wasn't easy, and it surely won't be easy for you either.' He spoke as they broke a part. 'But i'll always be there if you need help. Just call me, and i'll help.'

'I will.' Hongjoong smiled.

*

Seonghwa should have known that this day would come sooner or later. He just wished that it would have been later.

He sometimes woke up during the night, fearing for his nightmares that were about Yeosang turning. He knew that there was a 50 percent chance that this would happen, and Yeosang knew that as well. That was the reason behind why he came and asked Seonghwa the question.

'What am I going to be?'

Seonghwa blinked and stopped what he was doing, shutting off his phone and moving it away from his hand. Seonghwa somehow already knew what Yeosang meant by this question, but he still needed to make sure. 'What do you mean by that?' He then asked and Yeosang moved to sit next to him on the couch. Seonghwa reached for the remote and closed the tv, because he wasn't watching it even in the first place.

Yeosang sighed and lifted his feet onto the couch, his feet touching Seonghwa's thigh. 'I mean... Am I going to turn..?' Seonghwa, again, blinked. He didn't really know what to say.

He almost wanted to go ahead and call out for Hongjoong, so they could have this talk together. But he knew that in the end the other wouldn't be too much of a help, and perhaps Yeosang only wanted to talk about this with Seonghwa, and that's why he came to him so suddenly.

'What, uh, what made you think about this, suddenly?' Seonghwa then asked, figuring that maybe he would get a better picture this way, so he could help Yeosang better. There must have been something that suddenly made the 11 year old think about this subject.

'My teammate was sick today, and didn't come to practice.' Yeosang murmured. 'Our couch said that he was turning.' Seonghwa asked Yeosang if it was true, and not just a rumor- but it was true- as the classmates mother had asked the coach to explain it to everyone, so that there would be no misconceptions.

'So that made you think about yourself as well?' Seonghwa asked, moving in his spot. Yeosang nodded and played with the strings in his hoodie.

Seonghwa sighed. 'Well, uhm.' He managed to get out as he tried to find a good way to sit on the couch. He moved nervously for a bit before stopping as he found a position that was comfortable enough. He left like this would turn into a long talk.

'There is a 50 percent chance- do you know about hereditary traits?' Seonghwa asked mid sentence and Yeosang nodded his head. 'So, yes- there is a 50 percent chance that you will turn, or be a human. You really can't predict it any way.' Seonghwa added quietly.

'When did you turn?' Yeosang then asked, probably curious to know when he could possibly turn as well.

'I was 15.' Seonghwa said and Yeosang nodded his head. 'Your aunt was 12, and I believe that both of my parents were 13 when they turned.' Seonghwa added, as he wanted Yeosang to remember that just because he turned at a late age, didn't mean that he would as well. There really was no way to tell in advance.

'Um, wasn't aunt Mina an alpha as well? Like grandpa was.' Yeosang shyly asked and Seonghwa felt his mouth go dry. This is how talks about werewolves always turned into with Yeosang. He really wanted to know about alphas, and alphas only.

'Yeah, she is. Why?' Seonghwa then asked.

'Oh I was just thinking. You know, counting up the percentages, to see what role I might get.' Yeosang murmured, one hand rubbing at his neck.

Seonghwa laughed. 'There really isn't any use counting them. Trust me- I tried as well.' He murmured and turned to glance a look at his phone. He heard Yeosang hum.

'So, do you think that i'll be an omega as well?' He then asked and Seonghwa looked back up. He saw something in Yeosang's eyes. It was something in between of unsure and fearful. He hated seeing that.

Seonghwa sighed and reached out to take a hold of Yeosang's free hand. 'Does it matter?' He asked, not sure if he would get the kind of an answer he hoped for.  
Yeosang swallowed. 'Kinda does.'

'Why? Why does it matter?' Seonghwa asked again, moving so he was sitting straight across from Yeosang, both of their legs crossed on the couch and touching each other.

'It's hard to explain...' Yeosang murmured and looked elsewhere. Seonghwa nodded his head and waited for more. When he got none, he opened his own mouth again.

'Even just the word 'role' seems scary, huh?' He began and Yeosang managed to look at him again. He nodded his head after a small pause.

'It does. I thought so too when I was growing up. You start to believe that the roles truly only do what you are told about them. That alphas are the angry bossy ones who are often violent and hurtful. That they can't build true relationships with others and that they'll often end up breaking the ones that they manage to form. Betas are only there to work for others, and keep them happy- often going around and fooling around with more than one person. And omegas are just slaves. Those are all just lies.'

Seonghwa was honestly so tired of the meanings behind every role. They were old, and didn't even really mean anything in their current time. Times have changed. They have evolved as a species, and no longer needed these kinds of stereotypical parts behind every role. It was so tiring hearing someone ask a werewolf some dumb question about their role- as Seonghwa too had experienced that a few times as well. And not just from humans, but from other races and other werewolves as well.

'Would you be sad if you did turn out to be an omega?' Seonghwa then asked. He knew that there were only two kinds of answers that he could get from asking this question. He took a big risk, kinda, as he knew that he could get hurt if Yeosang went the other way with his answer.

But in the end he knew that Yeosang was a smart boy, and all the years of talking with Yeosang about roles and werewolves had done something correct.

'No. I wouldn't be sad.' Yeosang confessed. 'I don't honestly know what I would feel. I don't know if I would like to turn at all. It sounds kinda scary.' He added with a whisper.

Seonghwa nodded his head. 'It really does. Heats aren't that great, I have to admit.' Seonghwa laughed, in hopes of making the topic seem a bit nicer. Seonghwa wondered if this is what human mothers felt like when explaining periods to their daughters.

'But they only take up a small part of your time. You get over them pretty quickly, and life goes on just like before. And you get used to them, and they become a regular part of your normal schedule. Soon, you realize that you don't even remember what life was like without them. All the worrying and such will be for nothing. So, don't worry too much.' Seonghwa spoke as he let go off Yeosang's hand.

'Whatever happens- it will be okay.' He reminded him, patting his knee. 'I hope that you know that. In the end both me and Hongjoong will always be there, helping you out. You will have both of our endless support and we will never be upset at anything that will happen in the end. The race, nor the role does not matter to us- so I hope they won't matter to you either.'

Yeosang looked down at his hands as he nodded his head. When he lifted his head again, he showed a faint smile.

Seonghwa knew that he was scared. That he was still unsure and had many questions about the future. But that smile was a sign of hope and belief. Belief that it would truly be okay in the end.

Yeosang had to know that whatever happened in the end- the end result was something that he had no word in. Nothing that he did or didn't do had affected the end result, and that nothing was his fault. The future was truly out of their ways, and they could do nothing to change it. So might as well just enjoy the waiting game, as it would take a while.

Yeosang had honestly been waiting to ask Seonghwa the question for a few days now. During the first day he found out that a classmate his age had started his first heat. He was scared. During the second day he heard that his friend was probably an alpha. Yeosang was scared. The news on the fourth day secured it all, and his friend had indeed turned into an alpha. Yeosang was beyond terrified.

Today, on the fifth day, Yeosang gathered up the courage to ask Seonghwa about all of this. Today he no longer felt so scared about his near future- as he knew that no matter what would happen- it would be okay.

*

'It wasn't me!' Wooyoung yelled as Hongjoong made his way to the crime scene. He heard the screams of the three boys from his office and had dragged himself into the living room. He expected to see a horrific scene, and maybe something broken on the floor or the floor. But there didn't seem to be anything broken, at least at the first glance.

Hongjoong crouched down to Jongho who was sitting on the carpet, tears falling down his red cheeks. His bottom lip wobbled as Hongjoong wiped away the tears. He reached his arms up, and Hongjoong took the hint and pulled him into his arms.

'Alright.' Hongjoong spoke as he got back up. 'What happened here?' He then asked and noticed the way both Wooyoung and San were avoiding his eyes. 'Why is Jongho crying?' He asked and this time one of the boys spoke out.

'It wasn't my fault.' Wooyoung repeated himself and San glared at him. 'It was an accident.' He assured Hongjoong and moved his feet slyly against the carpet, his socks rubbing the material.

Hongjoong hummed and looked at the two, before turning to the small one on his arms. Jongho was sniffling, and slowly getting rid of his tears by hiding his face in Hongjoong's t-shirt. 'What happened to you baby?' Hongjoong cooed.

'We were playing tag and I fell down...' He murmured and hid his face deeper into the clothing of Hongjoong's shirt. Hongjoong nodded his head and turned to the two who were staying still, waiting for their punishment- that they obviously weren't going to get.

'You all should know better than to play tag inside.' Hongjoong spoke and the two lowered their heads. They were looking so sulky and guilty, and Hongjoong could have sworn that he almost saw San's eyes water.

He put Jongho back down and looked at the three. 'So, we should go outside instead- right?' The three immediately cheered up.

Hongjoong sat down on the porch, running out of breath. He laughed as he saw the kids continue running around after each other. Jongho had some trouble getting a hold of his big brothers, but managed to tag one of the two at the end. Either because he actually managed to run after them- or because Wooyoung was being nice enough and let him tag him.

Because there was such a big age difference between Jongho and his brothers, Seonghwa and Hongjoong sometimes worried that he would not get along with them at times. But a problem like that had never surfaced yet. Even if there was a 4 year age difference between Jongho, San and Wooyoung- the three got along very well and Wooyoung and San always took the youngest with them. They played with him all the time and spent time with him, as did everyone else.

Mingi sometimes babied him a bit, and sometimes used his age as an excuse not to play with him, but in the end still spent time with him. Jongho also hadn't learned to use a console or a controller yet, so Mingi didn't find him too interesting yet- as he loved playing with his electronics.

The seven year age difference between Yeosang and Jongho sometimes did seem like a bit too much. The two had very little things that brought them together, but they still found time to spend together. That usually meant that Yeosang had to lower himself onto the four year olds level, and play some board game with him- that he of course had to lose on purpose so that Jongho would stay happy- but just the fact that he did that for him meant that he was a great big brother, as Yeosang too took his board games very seriously.

There actually was a time when Seonghwa and Hongjoong thought about having another child. One of the reasons being the fact that Jongho didn't have a friend his age to play with- unlike all of their other kids. They all came in age pairs, pretty much. Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho had one year of a difference, but it wasn't that noticeable. Wooyoung and San were basically twins at this point. So it was a bit sad that Jongho wouldn't get to have that same kind of a relationship with a sibling when he was growing up.

The other reason was because Seonghwa was falling victim again for the baby fever. He liked to blame Mina, who decided to go ahead and get herself pregnant- without his permission. Joori, a sweet baby girl, was born a year ago. Jisoo wasn't so exited at first, but warmed up at the end. You could guess how exited Seonghwa's parents were at the news of the baby being a girl.

But, even if babies were cute and all, Seonghwa knew that he had to stop himself. He wasn't a young flower anymore- let's just say it like that.

So, as pregnancy wasn't an option anymore, they thought about adoption. And they thought about it long and hard, but came into the decision that maybe they should just keep things as they were.

They seemed to be struggling at times with the kids already as they began going to school, so adding another child in the middle didn't seem too fair. Seonghwa and Hongjoong knew that they would be able to love one more child if they tried hard enough, but it was only fair that the child would get all of the love and attention of their parents. And besides- there might be a couple just like Seonghwa and Hongjoong were at the time, waiting for their very own San to join their family. They wouldn't want to get in their way.

Besides, Jongho was happy as the youngest in the family. He had his brothers to play with and he enjoyed the company of kids of his age at daycare and preschool. He really actually enjoyed being the youngest one, as he would get all the attention from Seonghwa and Hongjoong that he needed and wanted. Seonghwa and Hongjoong often also fell for his tricks and babied him around a lot, as he knew exactly just what to do to make them fall for him. Jongho was a smart kid and knew that he had his parents wrapped tightly around his little finger. He would grow up to be such a trickster- Seonghwa was sure of it.

*

'I can't believe it.' Hongjoong spoke as he continued to stuff food in his face. 'I mean can you believe it?'

Seonghwa slowly lifted his eyes from the tablet on the table and looked up at Hongjoong, who was waiting for his response. 'I'm sorry, what was that?'

Hongjoong sighed dramatically and sunk in his seat. 'I said- can you believe that the average age of the new composers in the company is 23.' Hongjoong spoke and Seonghwa slowly nodded his head.

'23!' Hongjoong repeated, voice a bit louder than necessary. He too noticed this and lowered his tone. 'You have no idea how old I feel next to them. I wonder if this is what Gyu Uk felt like when I first joined.'

Seonghwa looked at him for a moment, blinking his eyes a few times- before reaching for the magazine next to him and rolling it, then proceeding to slap Hongjoong on top of the head with it.

'You know very well not to speak about age and specifically about being old in this goddamn household Kim Hongjoong.' He spat and Hongjoong tried to take cover by hiding behind his arms.

'I'm sorry- it's just that I really do feel like a living fossil next to them all day long.' Hongjoong continued, despite the way Seonghwa glared at him. 'I just feel so old all of a sudden.'

'Welcome to the club, population- everyone over the age of 30.' Seonghwa murmured and got back to the tablet on the table, trying to avoid Hongjoong. Hongjoong saw him eye the stairs as well, so he knew that he would probably try to make a run for it soon.

'I'm sorry.' Hongjoong sighed and repeated himself. 'It's just that... I feel like I just realized this now. I mean- you have been complaining about it for as long as i've known you- pretty much...' Hongjoong rambled and tried to ignore the dangerous look in Seonghwa's eyes.

'But like... Have I always been this... Old?'

Seonghwa let out a long groan and pushed the tablet away once again. Annoyed at the fact that he would never get to finish reading the news.

'I honestly really don't feel like talking about your midlife crisis right now, but if it will make you feel any better. Then no. You have never been old in my eyes.'   
Seonghwa spoke, his voice much calmer and gentler. Hongjoong almost believed that he would actually comfort him and be supportive during this very, very hard time. He should have known better, as it was in fact Seonghwa who he were talking about.

'As long as i'm still here- you'll always be the younger one- so don't you ever bring up this topic again or i'm gonna have to remind you, that you'll turn 40 this year- just like I already did. So I wonder who has it worse?' Seonghwa spoke, in a gentle tone that was filled with sarcasm.

'You're mean.' Hongjoong pouted. 'I can't seem to remember why I married you.'

'Because you love me.' Seonghwa smiled widely. 'And I happened to love you too, oddly enough.'

'Even after I turn 40?'

'Even after we both turn 80.'

Time was a weird thing.

You seemed to always run out of it as it moved so fast, going past your fingers so quickly that you only got to touch it instead of holding it in your grasp.

Time moved fast, as it ran forward with big leaps. And you were left with short memories collected from here and there, as they connected into a small film formed under the years that went past.

Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong remembered a lot from the years spent together. Some parts were much easier to remember than others, and some things seemed to be forgotten for good- until you came across some old photo or other thing that reminded you of that time. In the end they both mostly remembered everything, and it was weird how many memories could fit into one person's memory. There were many memories that were made together during the 14 years that they have been married.

It was odd how clearly Hongjoong remembered being that young unhappy kid, aged 22, when he first met Seonghwa. He changed his whole world, and he honestly could not think of himself without the other. They were truly an inseparable pair, and have been ever since first getting together.

Sure, there were small fights along the way. But they weren't anything that they couldn't get over together.

You would think that you'd notice the small differences in each other after having to see each other daily for so many years, but there never was a big revelation like this when it came to age.

Hongjoong really must have been so clueless at his own age for so long, because he just now began realizing the facts. He was getting older.  
He had seen the few grey hairs on Seonghwa before. The elder always complained about them a lot and dyed over them often, trying to hide them. He didn't think much about them himself.

He saw the small wrinkles on the corners of Seonghwa's eyes even when he didn't smile widely. He thought that they were ugly, while Hongjoong on the other hand thought that they were beautiful. Nothing could ever be ugly if it was on Seonghwa's face or body. That was just an all known fact.

But in the end Hongjoong understood how Seonghwa was feeling. Because he too felt a bit self conscious about his flaws. But the compliments made him feel better, and he hoped they also worked on Seonghwa.

He really tried to compliment the other daily, but it was sometimes forgotten- from the both of them. The kids took up all of their time, so it was sometimes difficult to remember the small things that made them both happy. But in the end, when they did remember those things, it made them so much happier since it was so nice to hear those things again after such a long time.

If you complimented the other daily, it would become normal, and soon you would get used to hearing those words over and over again. The compliments needed to be something special, so that they worked. And it didn't need to be anything big and special. Just the little things made your day so much better when the other noticed something nice about you.

*

'What do you have there Mingi-ah?'

Mingi almost dropped the box that he was holding onto when he heard Hongjoong speak right next to his ear. 'Nothing.' He quickly answered and tried to hide the box underneath the table. He felt his cheeks turn red when Hongjoong let out a laugh.

'Is it a gift?' Hongjoong asked, trying to peek under the table to see exactly what he was hiding. Mingi sneakily hid the small box under his shirt.

'Yeah.' He murmured out, still embarrassed. 'But not for you.' He added in order to make Hongjoong go away.

But that of course only made the other more interested. 'Who is it for then?' Hongjoong asked as he pretty much just locked Mingi on his seat, by pulling up another chair next to him- leaving him seated in the corner where he couldn't run away from.

Mingi stared at him for a moment. He weighed his chances and thought about an escape plan in his head- But came into the conclusion that he should just tell his father what was up. He sighed and placed the small box on the table.

'It's a birthday present for my friend.' He murmured. Hongjoong asked if he could open it, and Mingi nodded. Hongjoong reached for the small silver box and opened it. Inside was a cute glass decoration that looked like a kitten. Mingi must have bought it when they visited a flea-market recently. They sold all kinds of small stuff like that for a small price.

'This is a nice gift. I'm sure they'll like it.' Hongjoong spoke and carefully placed the glass decoration back into the box. Mingi looked at him with big eyes.

'You think so?' He smiled and got all jumpy in his seat. Hongjoong smiled at his excitement.

'Yeah, i'm sure they will.' Hongjoong assured him. 'How did you meet this friend of yours?' He then asked and Mingi got a bit quiet again. 'You don't have to tell me if you don't want to- but I would like to hear.'

Mingi nodded his head after thinking for a moment. 'Only if you promise not to get all weird about it.' He spoke and Hongjoong lifted an eyebrow. He didn't really understand how he could get 'all weird' about whatever he was about to tell him, but agreed.

He reached and shook Mingi's hand. 'Deal.'

Mingi looked at him for a moment, before opening his mouth. 'I met her in the school pl-'

'You have a girlfriend?' Hongjoong wheezed out before he could even stop himself. He felt like a little school girl, as he hid his wide smile behind his hands. Mingi whined loudly and squirmed in his chair.

'You promised.' He whined and pouted as Hongjoong kept on smiling. He tried to convince him to tell him more, and apologized for interrupting him- but Mingi wasn't having it.

He turned away with a pout and hands crossed. 'I won't tell you anymore. I am mad.' He declared.

'Oh come on, I wanna know.' Hongjoong mimicked Mingi, and whined just like him. The other just glared at him as Hongjoong pulled on his arm. 'I promise not to do it again. And I won't be weird about it. I just couldn't help myself- because you're so cute and it's so cute that you made a friend- who you are buying a cute gift for... Mingi you know I can't handle cute things well.'

Mingi just rolled his eyes. If only his father wasn't such a baby.

He gave up in the end, and told Hongjoong.

He told him the teeth rotting cute story of how he met July, a fairy. She was a new student who just moved to Korea from the states. She was moved into his and Yunho's class after she first took some language classes.

She was half african-american and half Korean, so she knew a little Korean, but not a lot. She didn't have any friends at the moment, and Mingi was the first brave one to make a move to get to know her. They kinda clicked immediately.

Mingi was too shy to tell about her to Seonghwa and Hongjoong- as he knew exactly what their reactions would be like. Seonghwa would have probably freaked out, because his baby was 'dating' someone, while Hongjoong would probably make a public announcement ordering people to look at the two- because they were so goddamn cute.

Mingi thought it was better just to stay quiet. And it really was, as everything had gone well up to this day. Now he had to deal with a squealing Hongjoong who kept on asking him when the wedding would be held. Mingi punched him in the shoulder while his cheeks exploded with color.

Hongjoong of course told Seonghwa about it. He just had to- because he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Seonghwa had known something was up from the moment he saw Hongjoong smile widely when Mingi seemed a bit shy all of a sudden. Hongjoong explained that it was because he was just talking to him about his possible first crush.

Seonghwa thought it was adorable. The whole deal with the fact that Mingi was being so nice to this new girl, who had no friends, and the fact that he went and bought her a gift with his own money. Mingi never did that. He never bought anyone gifts.

'He must really like her.' Hongjoong had murmured out and Seonghwa nodded his head. Yeah. He probably did.

Seonghwa almost felt how all the color faded from his face. 'Oh god. Do we need to tell them about the birds and the bees soon?'

'Seonghwa, he's ten years old.'

*

Seonghwa was a very understanding person. He understood that people were different and that not everyone thought like he did. He knew that not everyone liked the way he lived his life- and they would do things differently. But that didn't mean he liked to hear about things like that all the time. Especially behind his back.

Now, Seonghwa had met a few mean people during his days on this planet. The few angry customers he met during his days as a waiter, or the couple racist teachers he had in school. Not to forget the idiot classmates he had in school back in the day.

So he had seen it all pretty much. Or so he thought so.

What Seonghwa did not expect was to hear from a group of his students, how his new coworker used him as an example during her own classes multiple times. And not in a nice or respectable way at all.

Apparently, this new science teacher loved to add things about Seonghwa into her examples and lectures. She didn't even try to hide it, as she sometimes even used his name.

The students told him immediately, as they didn't like the fact that their favorite teacher was being spoken about in such a way. Seonghwa appreciated that they told him, but in a way he also wished that they didn't.

He was just so tired of things like this already. He just wanted to let it go, and let it be. He had fought with so many people already about this already, that he was beginning to get tired. He wished that he wouldn't have to deal with things like these anymore, but he knew that was impossible. There would always be inconsiderate hurtful people, that only believed in what they were taught. It would take a real battle to make them learn something new, but that was exactly why there were people like Seonghwa out there. He knew that he wouldn't give up on this, because of his students and children.

Seonghwa had heard from other teachers about the new science teacher. As he hadn't met her personally yet, he didn't know what to think about her- but as the other teachers told her about Seonghwa- Seonghwa now knew what she thought about him.

The topic of Seonghwa's family popped up in regular conversation, as it usually did, and the teacher wasn't even slightly aware of her reactions. She was shocked, really.

As Seonghwa now asked his other coworkers, he found out that she found him to be quite horrible. The fact that he was in a relationship with another male? Absolutely horrible. The fact that he wasn't a human? Impossible. The fact that he had children? Disgusting.

That word- disgusting, really stuck with Seonghwa for a few days after all this happened. He lost a few hours of sleep because of it, and even Hongjoong noticed how odd he was these days. Seonghwa then decided that this all wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth all of this.

'Could I have a word with you?' Seonghwa spoke as he finally spotted the woman in the teachers office. Seonghwa had tried to get a hold of her for quite some time now, but the other one was always somewhere else than he was. And now that he finally saw her, he decided it was now or never.

She lifted her brow in confusion as Seonghwa approached her, but said nothing as she followed Seonghwa into a smaller space, away from all the other teachers.

'Alright.' Seonghwa sighed as he turned around, to see the woman- Seungyeon, stand there with her arms crossed. Seonghwa really had to control his voice and tone, as he didn't want to upset the other. He only wanted to speak what he had in his mind, in a way that maybe even she understood what he meant.

'I have heard, um, some quite upsetting things from my students and other teachers.' Seonghwa spoke. 'And I would really appreciate it if you could maybe keep your thoughts about me to yourself- and not share all of them with everyone I know- especially the students.'

'The students have the right to know.' She smiled, and completely forgot about everything else that Seonghwa said.

'They already did.' Seonghwa reminded her. 'I have told them everything already, and they know everything about me, like the fact that I am a werewolf and I am in a relationship with another man. The school has given the teachers permission to do so, but it does not give you the permission to tell about someone else's life.'

Seungyeon moved her stance and leaned against another wall, still keeping her arms crossed and holding that odd look on her face. Seonghwa couldn't quite make up what she was feeling or thinking about.

She was clearly thinking about something to say, but couldn't come up with a good enough answer just yet, so Seonghwa took that chance to explain himself more.

'This school is filled with teachers like me, and even kids like me. These kids are sitting in your class, listening to you say all these horrible things about me- and they see themselves. They see the connection and realize that you mean all those horrible things about them as well.' Seonghwa spoke and sighed. 'I believe that maybe this isn't the best of places for someone like you to be- if you cannot handle even working with someone like me.'

Now, Seonghwa was expecting an apology. Or maybe even just a half assed sorry. But he did not expect this to come out of the quite small lady's mouth.

'You are right.' She laughed. 'I do not belong here, at all.'

'I absolutely hate-no, despise the people in this school. The teachers are almost crazy, and it is even crazier that half of you have even been given the permission to teach. The kids deserve teachers better than you- but then again the children in this school are in some way even worse than you.'

Seungyeon spoke with poison in her words. Her tone was getting higher and higher, as she kept getting more and more emotional with her words. She stared straight at Seonghwa as she was now basically yelling.

'This school is filled with ungrateful, nasty children who have been cursed by their parents with their evil genes. I feel so sorry for the human children who have been put in the same room by their parents. Those children need a proper learning space, where they are surrounded by other humans. Not these... Animals.'

Seonghwa had heard that Seungyeon was 'old fashioned'. The fifty year old human lady had been teaching in human-only schools for all her life. She grew up in an area where you only saw other humans, and the fact that she now worked in a mixed race school was way too overwhelming for her.

Just to seem as professional as possible, Seungyeon often sheltered herself away from the non human children, as she couldn't stand seeing them too much. She could not see the vampires eat their own lunch- and found it horrible that everyone else had to witness it as well. She could not stand seeing the fairy children fly around the school corridors. Witches weren't allowed to use any magic on her classes. She often told the werewolf kids to stop talking about their own things as it disturbed others. By others, meaning the human kids.

Which was funny as the humans didn't mind it at all. They all knew that it was okay to be different. They all had grown up around other people and knew that it was fine. Their parents had all taught them to be nice to others and take care of each other.

The human parents knew exactly what was going around in the school, and were okay with everything. They didn't mind the fact that there were other races in the school- as that was usually exactly what they wanted.

Just like Seonghwa and Hongjoong- other parents wanted their children to be around other races. They wanted them to get to know each other and learn that maybe they weren't so different after all. You learned so much about each other by being around them- not like when reading a book about them or listening to some teacher explaining it for them.

The good things about an all race school was that you learned about other races all the time. You never stopped learning about them, really. And the learning usually happened in recess and not during classes. This gave the school so much more time to teach other things as the kids did most of the learning by themselves.

Just by going ahead and asking a question from a new friend you met during the first day of school, and finding out more about them. It was natural and it was harmless.

It was truly sad that many people, like Seungyeon, didn't see that.

The conversation then ended with Seungyeon. Seonghwa had been upset after the talk, as he felt bad for everyone that had to deal with her in the school. He had already heard before from some of his students how bad they felt after being in her classes, as she liked to make fun of non-humans. Seonghwa thought that it was ridiculous that she was still teaching in this school. Many thought the same.

Soon the word about her started going around between more teachers and the students. the word moved onto the parents of the kids and the principal of the school. Both were quite upset at the news.

Soon the phone calls started coming in from parents, as they wanted to explain their anger with the situation that their children explained. Most of the callers were parents of non human children, but there even were a few human parents calling in as well. Their children were just as unhappy with the situation in school as were everyone else. This affected them just as much as everyone else, as their friends were being treated badly.

It didn't take long for the principal to take things under control. But as he couldn't just fire Seungyeon off the bat, he needed some more evidence in order to do that. Seonghwa was immediately called over.

The rumor had been going around that Seonghwa had quite the talk with Seungyeon not too long ago, and other teachers had noticed the aftermath of that talk on Seonghwa. He was quite sad after it, and no wonder.

So, he was called over, and he was asked to explain the situation. 'Gladly.' Seonghwa had answered as he sat down in front of his boss.

Two weeks later Seungyeon had been replaced by another teacher- who the children loved much more. It was reported that Seungyeon did not take the news easily, and had threatened the principal because of the situation. But in the end she gave up, packed her bags and moved on. But she did make quite the exit as a few teachers had seen her that day when she came to collect her things.

She was angry, and for a reason. But what she did in the school had hurt many people. She was a respected teacher, but not in this school, because in this school the kids and the teachers were taught to respect everyone- no matter what race they might be.

Seungyeon had no place in this school, and would probably do better in a school where she had been before. Or, as mean as it may seem, maybe she should just do everyone a favor and stop teaching altogether.

Whatever she might do in the future, it was no longer Seonghwa's business and he no longer had to worry about it. He could now show up to work daily without having to worry about seeing someone like her ever again, as the school was now much more careful about who they hired.

Seonghwa was happy, the teachers were happy and most importantly- the children were now happy again. They could now enjoy school again as usual, and not have to fear that a teacher might discriminate against them or treat them differently because of their race ever again.

*

Seonghwa soon got to enjoy his work again, as his poisonous coworker was removed from the school for good. Everything got back to normal, and the endless routines continued.

They got to celebrate Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho's birthdays, and the others would follow soon. It was so odd- seeing them grow so fast. The sight really made Seonghwa and Hongjoong feel quite proud and sappy, as they watched their kids grow older.

Yeosang was now twelve, and he was the most wonderful twelve year old they both could have ever gotten. They probably only thought so because he was their twelve year old, as they were biased like that. But seriously, he was a sweetheart- always has been, and hopefully always will be. Seonghwa and Hongjoong sometimes feared the teenager hormones that would soon get a hold of Yeosang, but they tried not to think about it too much. They knew that he wouldn't change too much. At least they hoped so.

Yunho turned eleven, and didn't change much. He stayed as the same happy- a bit stupid- kid that he always had been. He promised Seonghwa that he would never change when the other hugged him with wet eyes. It was a lied promise, but it gave Seonghwa some hope that maybe he was right. He really wished that things would stay the same and never change, but he knew that it was inevitable and only natural.

Even though growing up was a scary thought, it still brought some good in as well. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong could not wait to see their kids find love and start to pursue their dreams. Sure, the kids had some wishes for their future jobs, but they weren't exactly... realistic. Unless you counted Wooyoung's wish to become a dinosaur dentist as realistic.

They wanted to see them go to a school that they wanted to go to, where they would graduate into their wished careers. Both Hongjoong and Seonghwa also had their dream jobs, so they wanted nothing less for their own children. They knew that they would support their wishes no matter what when they knew what they wanted themselves. And heck, they would even try everything that they could to make Wooyoung's dream come true if he still wanted to become a dino dentist ten years from now.

Not really sure how that would be possible, but they would try to do it for him.

Probably one of the worst things in having many kids who all go to school and daycare, was the flue and other diseases that they brought with them from said places. The current sickness of the month that was going around in the Kim household, you may ask? Stomach flu.

It started with Jongho. He got the sickness from preschool and was now passing it onto others. Before he managed to pass it onto anyone else, Hongjoong took him to the ER to get him checked and he got some meds for it and the doctor assured him that it wasn't anything too serious.

He was only throwing up a few times a day, so there was no danger of dehydration. So when the other kids started showing the same symptoms, they knew that it wasn't anything too serious. But they still took everyone to the doctors just to be sure when they fell sick as well.

Hongjoong was usually always sick. He usually always got the flu around the same time every year, and he got everything that was going around the studio and office. Maybe his immune system had become so weak after all those years spent inside composing music instead of going outside like he probably should have.

But, here he was as healthy as ever. While Seonghwa was currently emptying his stomach in the bathroom upstairs, because the one downstairs was still dirty from the gift Jongho left there earlier. Hongjoong sadly would need to take care of that soon, as there were four other sick ones in the house who needed to use the bathroom as well.

Only Hongjoong, San and Yeosang had managed to not get the flue, which was a miracle. San of course had gotten a shot a few months ago, and he would now get to skip over the whole flue all together while the rest of them would suffer. Hongjoong was sure that he and Yeosang would be next to get the symptoms and he needed to mentally prepare for that. One more reason why he could have never carried their children like Seonghwa did- he hated throwing up.

'Do you want anything from the store?' Hongjoong asked as he ran his hand through Wooyoung's hair. The other was snuggled on the couch, next to his brothers as they all shared a big blanket. On the floor there were two buckets, just in case they wouldn't make it onto the bathroom in time.

They all looked miserable, and it was no wonder. Throwing up wasn't fun in any way, and they all hated it and feared that they would need to do it again. Eating was pushed away as it only made them more sick, but they still needed to eat.

Even though Seonghwa was feeling quite poorly as well, he managed to make some simple soup with some noodles in it. Wooyoung refused to eat it so Seonghwa forced him to eat some yogurt instead. The other was a bit upset at first, but listened to his father in the end and ate the small serving of banana flavored yogurt.  
Jongho, Mingi and Yunho ate the soup and felt a bit better after it, and they have both managed to keep it in for now. This has been going on for two days already, so Seonghwa wasn't expecting them to be better already. This would probably go on for a few days more, and the rest of the family would probably get sick as well. Seonghwa just hoped that Hongjoong would stay healthy until he would get better as well. It would suck a lot if both of them were sick at the same time, and it would become quite impossible to do anything around the house during that time.

'I want ice cream.' Jongho cooed next to Wooyoung and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Hongjoong smiled as the loud voice of the cartoons on tv spoke.  
Usually the kids wouldn't get treats like ice cream and candy during the week like this, but as they were sick, Hongjoong decided that it was acceptable to break the rule.

'I'll see what I can find.' Hongjoong promised and Jongho smiled up at him. Hongjoong was happy to see that face instead of the crying one just moments ago when Jongho felt sickly again.

'What about the rest?' Hongjoong spoke as he now put on his coat. The voices on the tv screen almost covered his voice but the remaining boys somehow managed to hear him.

Wooyoung wanted more yogurt, as he now trusted the food. As it had yet to make him feel sick, he trusted the non milk product and promised to eat some more if Hongjoong bought him some. Yunho wanted some apple juice as they ran out of it earlier this morning. He oddly didn't have anything else on his mind, but that was probably because he knew that he wouldn't be able to eat anything solid in a while. Mingi wanted something savory to chew on, preferably something crunchy. 

'Seonghwa!' Hongjoong yelled towards the stairs as he put on his coat. He heard a murmured answer that probably came from their bedroom. It seemed like Seonghwa had managed to get out of the bedroom already. 'You want anything from the store?'

There was a moment of silence before he could hear Seonghwa's faint voice again. 'You know that gross canned tomato soup?' He heard Seonghwa ask and Hongjoong couldn't help but laugh.

'Oh, do I remember.' Hongjoong shook his head.

He had a love-hate relationship with that soup. He loved it because it kept Seonghwa happy and quiet whenever he was really sick and wouldn't eat anything else but the damn thing, but Hongjoong hated it because of everything else.

That gross red liquid inside a can, couldn't really be called a soup in Hongjoong's offence. That would probably make it illegal. But Seonghwa liked it, so he couldn't complain. Except that he totally did whenever he had to be around Seonghwa when he ate it.

Seonghwa hardly ever got sick, but there were those few days during the years when he got a cold or a flu so bad that he was almost bedridden. Whenever he was, he only ate that same tomato soup that had been around for at least one hundred years.

Seonghwa said that it was something that he ate even when he was just a kid, as it was the only thing that his mother had found that he could eat and keep inside himself when he was really sick. Hongjoong hated the way the things smelled, tasted and looked, but he loved the fact that it made Seonghwa feel better, so he made a mental note to buy a bunch of those cans.

He also made a mental note to stay away from those things when Seonghwa was opening them. Those things smelled so bad that Hongjoong's once threw up in his mouth and Seonghwa laughed so hard that he fell down on the kitchen floor. It was a very interesting day in their just starting relationship at the time. But it was just as embarrassing for Hongjoong back then as it sometimes still is today.

'I'll get going!' Hongjoong yelled as he put on his shoes and opened the front door. He heard the kids and Seonghwa yell their goodbyes before he closed the door.  
Hongjoong stopped on his feet momentarily as he felt like he forgot something for a moment. The realization that he forgot to ask Yeosang and San to come outside hit him and he almost turned around to go back inside. He luckily managed to take a look towards the car parked outside and noticed that the two were already sitting in the car.

'I thought I forgot you guys inside.' Hongjoong laughed as he opened the door and sat inside on the driver's seat.

'We got here a while ago already.' Yeosang laughed and reminded him. San nodded his head next to his brother.

Hongjoong put on his seat belt and asked the boys to do the same. Yeosang managed to put on his own easily, but San was having some trouble. Even though San said no, Yeosang helped him and solved the problem by removing his tail from underneath the lock. San murmured out a thank you and Yeosang smiled sheepishly.

The boys got to choose the store that they would be going to, but Hongjoong still had to put down some rules. Yeosang wanted to go to the market while San wanted to see the toys at the new store. Hongjoong had to explain to them that they only needed a few things from the store, and that there was no need to go to neither of those places. In the end they decided to just go to a nearby corner store.

'Remember that you get to pick only one thing for yourself.' Hongjoong reminded the two as they ran out of the car once Hongjoong parked it. Hongjoong laughed and shook his head as San screamed while running inside the store, leaving a few people looking at him weirdly.

Hongjoong checked his phone as he walked after the two, picking up a basket to put all the groceries in. He noticed the two unread messages from Seonghwa that the other had sent a few minutes ago.

They apparently were running out of toilet paper and milk. Hongjoong immediately went and picked out the two so he wouldn't forget them. After Hongjoong found all the other groceries that they needed, he went ahead and began his search for Yeosang and San. It really wasn't a hard task as he could hear the two- well, mostly San- speak in the candy section of the store.

'I want these two...' San murmured while showing Hongjoong the two chocolate bars that he had picked out. Hongjoong pursed his lips and pretended to think about it very seriously. San whined and hit Hongjoong on his side with his shoulder. Damn, the kids really did learn aegyo from Seonghwa.

'Alright, alright.' Hongjoong laughed. 'You can have them, but you have to save the other one for tomorrow.' Hongjoong promised the other, and even though San would have wanted to argue with him- he agreed with his rules in the end and nodded his head, placing the bars in the basket.

Yeosang quietly placed the lollipop that he had chosen in the basket as well. Hongjoong looked through the basket and made sure that they had everything, before they moved over to the cash register.

San and Yeosang both liked to always pay for their own things when they went to the store like this. All the kids had their own money that they got weekly from him and Seonghwa. Yeosang, Mingi and Yunho got to use their money however they wanted, but the three youngest ones still didn't get to do so, and for a reason. Wooyoung and San didn't really yet understand how money worked, and would probably use all of their money on useless things.

So Yeosang got to pay for his own purchase by himself, from his own small wallet. As Hongjoong gave San the needed money from his own wallet.

As Yeosang was paying, Hongjoong looked around himself and noticed the magazine stand next to himself. It was filled with the usual women's magazines and cooking pamphlets and other boring stuff. But what caught Hongjoong's eyes was the magazine at the bottom, where he noticed something really familiar. Himself.  
Hongjoong picked the magazine up onto his hands and looked at the front page. It came out today, and there indeed was his face on the cover.

The magazine was known for being full of gossip and paparazzi pictures, so Hongjoong wasn't the only one in the cover- but he was still there. It was odd.

'Appa?' Hongjoong hummed out and pulled his gaze away from the magazine, seeing that Yeosang and San were both already and waited for him. Hongjoong threw the magazine next to the other groceries and paid for them.

*

'Are you feeling any better?' Wooyoung only shook his head and pouted more. Seonghwa hummed under his breath and brushed the hair away from Wooyoung's face, testing to make sure that he didn't have a fever.

Wooyoung had started feeling worse again and had to use the bathroom to throw up again. This was expected but it still sucked, especially as Seonghwa knew Wooyoung well and he knew that he wouldn't probably now eat the yogurt that Hongjoong would buy him.

'Try to drink something honey.' Seonghwa asked for him, and even though Wooyoung first shook his head- he still ended up drinking some water.  
Luckily Yunho, Mingi and Jongho had been feeling a bit better, and they had managed to keep the soup that they ate inside for quite some time already. Seonghwa was hopeful that maybe they would even get to digest it before feeling sick again.

Seonghwa was still quite sick. He needed to run to the bathroom once more after Hongjoong left and he was feeling quite weak at the moment. He gave up on cleaning the bathroom and stopped to lay down next to the boys on the couch. Hongjoong would probably have to take care of the cleaning for today, sadly.

After it seemed like his stomach gave him a break of throwing up, he began feeling hungry. The noodle soup was an option, but Seonghwa decided to wait for the canned tomato soup from the store as he knew for a fact that he could keep it inside himself, and the kids seemed to like the noodle soup so he wanted to save it for them.

Seonghwa's stomach was growling so badly after a moment that it was making Mingi laugh, and when Seonghwa heard the front door open- he almost jumped from the couch and ran to get the groceries.

'I got two candy bars!' San spoke proudly as he presented Seonghwa his own groceries. Seonghwa smiled, and heard how Wooyoung yelled something from the living room. Probably complaining about the fact that Hongjoong let his brother get two candies instead of one.

Seonghwa let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the familiar cans on the bottom of the plastic bag underneath everything else. He searched for the can opener and opened two cans when he found one. Even Seonghwa had to admit that the things smelled quite awful as Yeosang made a sound when he stood next to Seonghwa when he opened them.

'Appa was right.' Yeosang spoke and made a face as Seonghwa poured the liquid from the cans into the pot. 'It smells pretty bad.'

Seonghwa laughed and turned on the stove. 'Where is he, by the way?' Seonghwa asked the other but only received a shrug. Seonghwa hummed under his breath and turned back to the stove. Hongjoong was probably just parking the car or cleaning the yard a bit.

Seonghwa was most likely right as Hongjoong soon opened the front door and walked inside, removing his shoes and coat.

'Where did you disappear to?' Seonghwa asked as he pulled a chair next to the stove so he wouldn't need to stand. He was still feeling quite weak and lazy so be preferred to sit. He hoped that he would get some energy from the soup so he would start to feel a bit better.

Hongjoong brought over one more bag of groceries and placed them onto the kitchen table. He also put down a magazine that he had been holding onto as well. Seonghwa looked at the familiar font on the front of the table and looked back up to meet Hongjoong's eyes.

'What did they write this time..?' Seonghwa quietly asked.

Hongjoong sighed as he sat down and pushed the paper closer to Seonghwa. Seonghwa then let go of the wooden spoon that he used to mix the soup and took the magazine instead. He searched through the front page with quick eyes, looking through every article, until he noticed it.

'Producer Kim Hongjoong, better known as Pyeonghongman, leaves old record company mercilessly after 15 years.' Seonghwa spoke as he read the words. 'Mercilessly?' Seonghwa repeats the odd choice of words that the writers decided to use.

'Yep.' Hongjoong snorts. 'Apparently I am the worst of the worst.' Hongjoong spoke as he moved in his seat. He asked Seonghwa to turn the pages onto the article where they spoke more lies about him. Seonghwa almost felt like saying no, as he didn't want to read such lies of his husband, but did so anyways.

'You tricked Gyu Uk?' Seonghwa let out a laugh as he read through the one page long article. 'You took money from KQ to start your own company, and left the old company in dept?' Seonghwa shook his head as he read further. He had to stop himself at some point, as it just all sounded so ridiculous.

'Apparently so.' Hongjoong sighed. Seonghwa did the same as he closed the magazine, opened the cabinet next to him and threw the damn thing in the trash.

Not only was the article full of lies, it was late. Hongjoong left KQ many months ago, and his own company has been up and running for a while as well. The change wasn't really big news anymore, and it was odd that they decided to even publish this now.

Hongjoong hadn't been mentioned in articles in ages. Last time his face was seen in magazines or internet articles was years ago when he was still with KQ and produced a song for a popular singer in China. It was weird that this was happening again, and in such a way.

Seonghwa looked up at the other and ignored the way the kids spoke a bit too loudly in the living room. 'What are you going to do?' Hongjoong only shook his head after a while.

'I don't know.' He answered honestly. 'But I need to do something. This gives such a bad image to the just starting company.' Hongjoong murmured and Seonghwa nodded his head.

'I think that you should firstly give Gyu Uk a call. Think about what to do together, as this includes both of you.' Seonghwa spoke, voice raspy from the damage his throat had been enduring for the past few days. 'Maybe you could contact another news station and give them the actual facts and the truth together. Just so that the people don't think anything bad about you.'

Hongjoong sat there for a moment, before breaking into a small smile. 'What would I do without you?' Seonghwa snorted and turned to mix his soup.

'You would probably over react and make the situation ever worse, as you wouldn't think about how to solve the problem correctly.' He heard Hongjoong moved from his spot and make his way to him. Seonghwa soon felt how Hongjoong wrapped his arms around his own figure.

'Yeah,' Hongjoong murmured against Seonghwa's head. 'I probably would.' He spoke and Seonghwa smiled in his embrace.

'I also would be enjoying my day without having to smell that awful soup.' Hongjoong spoke and managed to flee from Seonghwa's side just in time before the other would have thrown a wooden spoon at him.

*

Seonghwa had been so prepared for this day, but also he wasn't.

He knew that Yeosang had a big chance of turning, as it was literally 50/50. So it shouldn't have been a big surprise when Yeosang showed his first symptoms of his first heat. It still was.

The kids and Hongjoong had gone through the flu, and they all had a fever as well. Yeosang, however, did not get the flu at all, just like Seonghwa didn't either. Seonghwa didn't think too much of it at first, but as the thought of the reason behind it came to his mind- he began worrying a bit.

Seonghwa was hardly ever sick, as it was a werewolf thing. Werewolf's had a very good immune system, so they hardly ever got sick with the flu as they only usually affected humans and some other races. So, it was no wonder that Seonghwa didn't get sick, but he wondered why Yeosang didn't either.

It was pretty simple actually, as he was just getting closer to becoming a werewolf, and had already gotten some of the traits. Soon he would probably start his first heat and get his role. Seonghwa realized this fact a week before Yeosang fell ill with the same flu as the others. Seonghwa felt relieved at the moment, but soon started to worry again.

If he didn't turn now, then when?

Seonghwa's worry soon infected Hongjoong as well. They both knew that it was stupid and quite mean of them to worry about it, as it really wasn't anything to worry about. They were afraid that Yeosang would notice their worries and that he too would start to worry. That was the last thing that he should be doing.

So, when the day actually came- it was kinda a relief. All of them realized that they had been worrying over nothing, even Yeosang. He of course hadn't told Seonghwa or Hongjoong about his worries, but told them after it all happened. He had been really scared of turning- like everyone else usually was.

It was a regular weekday morning, when Hongjoong first woke up to his alarm clock going off next to him. He clumsily, but quickly turned the thing off so that Seonghwa wouldn't be disturbed and would get to sleep his extra 20 minutes that he always liked to have.

Hongjoong was a morning showerer while Seonghwa liked to shower before getting to bed, so the other got to sleep longer while Hongjoong had to wake up earlier to take a shower before going to work.

He lazily walked downstairs and grabbed a clean towel from the laundry room, before disappearing into the bathroom.

After a long shower, he walked out with a t-shirt on and a pair of sweatpants. He rubbed the towel on his hair a few times before leaving it in the basket inside the bathroom. He stopped to think for a moment and came to the decision not to shave his face, and walked out towards the kitchen.

Hongjoong sighed deeply as he looked into the fridge and saw nothing that was ready to eat. He whined as he looked through the cabinets in the hopes of finding something else as he didn't have the patience to wait for Seonghwa to come down and start making breakfast. He could of course try and start making it himself, but he nor Seonghwa didn't trust himself enough to do so. And it would probably taste awful, he would destroy the kitchen and the kids would hate him forever.

So he sadly sat down onto the couch after pouring himself a bowl full of cereal. He turned on the tv and made sure that it was on the lowest volume setting so that he wouldn't disturb anyone in the house, who still wanted to get their last minutes of sleep.

Not too long after that he could already hear Seonghwa's phone go off upstairs and the grumpy man soon walked down the stairs. 'Morning.' He managed to croak out as he walked past the living room. Hongjoong actually thought that he was going to say something more and a bit more meaningful by the fact that he stopped to stare at Hongjoong for quite a while. He was obviously wrong.

'You're not supposed to eat on the couch, and you know that.' Seonghwa then murmured out and continued his way to the kitchen. Hongjoong started at him for a moment before rolling his eyes and getting up from Seonghwa's precious couch.

Hongjoong made his way to the kitchen and sat down in front of the table, placing his bowl there. 'Happy now?' Hongjoong asked sarcastically.

'Very.' Seonghwa smiled, his face still looking very tired. His hair was all over the place and his pajamas were all wrinkled and not matching what so ever. He looked like a mess, and that way okay. Seonghwa was always in top condition and no one else got to see him like this. It was actually refreshing seeing the other in his just awakened state, as it was something so natural and cozy.

Hongjoong once tried to take a picture of Seonghwa in his current state, while he was sleeping, and Hongjoong's phone got to meet the floor at such fast speed after Seonghwa heard the camera go off that the phone didn't even save the picture. Or anything else either, as the thing nearly broke in half. So Hongjoong learned from his mistakes and remembered to never repeat them again.

'I think i'm gonna just make some sandwiches.' Seonghwa murmured as he rubbed his neck. Hongjoong hummed in the background as he finished his cereal. 'There is still some leftover porridge as well if someone wants it.' Seonghwa continued to speak to himself as he began collecting the ingredients onto the counter.

'I'll go wake the kids up.' Hongjoong spoke after leaving his bowl into the sink. He hurriedly kissed Seonghwa's cheek with a loud sound and the other whined at the gesture at first but Hongjoong saw him smile when he turned to look back before climbing up the stairs.

Hongjoong first reached Jongho's room. The nursery had now been renovated and it was made to look more grown up so that Jongho could enjoy it until he got too old. Of course, the possibility was big that Yeosang, Mingi or Yunho wanted the room for themselves as well, so Jongho would probably need to give the room away at some point. But he got to enjoy having his own room for himself at least for now.

'Hey buddy.' Hongjoong cooed down at the bundle of blankets and pillows. You could see the head full of black hair just slightly from underneath everything. Jongho hummed as Hongjoong brushed a hand through that bed hair.

'Time to wake up, and get ready for preschool.' Hongjoong spoke as he got up and pulled on the covers slightly to get Jongho moving. The other whined slightly as the cold air hit his legs, but got up instead of trying to get back under the covers.

Hongjoong smiled as he saw Jongho yawn loudly while he walked out of his room, Hongjoong watched him go down stairs before opening the door to San and Wooyoung's room.

Learning to wake the two up was something that was a never ending process. It wouldn't help if you took away their covers, as they only continued their deep sleep. Hongjoong's favorite trick was to open up the curtains and let the sunlight take care of the waking.

Both of the boys groaned as they tried to cover their faces from the bright light. Hongjoong laughed as he continued to open the other curtains, letting more light into the small room. 'It's time to wake up boys.' Hongjoong spoke as he collected a few pieces of clothing from the floor that the boys forgot to put away last night.

'Can't I just sleep forever?' San murmured sleepily as he pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. He stretched his limbs with a long groan, his toes curling and tail swinging. His hair was a mess and his ears pointed in different directions. Wooyoung didn't look any better.

Hongjoong left the two to get dressed and moved onto the last room.

Mingi was already awake, and looking through his phone while Yunho slept quietly to the bed across from him. When Mingi noticed Hongjoong, he put his phone away and got up. He was probably texting a friend- a girl friend, to be more exact.

'Wake your brothers up and get ready for breakfast, okay?' Hongjoong said, deciding not to bully Mingi about his phone as he didn't want to make the other feel too embarrassed. He already had a tiny tint of red on his cheeks as he was caught by Hongjoong. He nodded his head and began to search for his school uniform as Hongjoong left.

Hongjoong quickly took the clothes that he carried and put them into the laundry room downstairs before going back into the kitchen. There he could already hear the sound of the tv as Jongho probably began watching his cartoons.

He was correct as the boy was sat on the floor while looking up at the tv on the wall. He always ate his breakfast very quickly so he could enjoy watching the tv for a moment before having to go to preschool. Hongjoong drove Jongho to preschool as Seonghwa took all the others. Jongho really enjoyed the drive to school on Hongjoong's car and he liked school as well, so he didn't mind going there every morning.

'We have gym class today.' Hongjoong heard Wooyoung speak as he made his way to the kitchen.

'Yeah, I think we will play football!' San spoke as he brought his glass over to himself with his tail. Seonghwa and Hongjoong kinda gave up telling him not to do so, as San did so no matter what. He liked using his tail as an extra arm, and it was apparently perfectly normal. He was still a bit clumsy at using it, but he had gotten a lot better at moving it like he wanted. Seonghwa and Hongjoong still couldn't help but feel nervous every time he decided to not use his arms, but his tail instead. Hongjoong could already imagine the countless phone screens that would be broken in the future because of that.

Seonghwa hummed under his breath as he tanked himself with coffee. 'Has everything been alright at school, San?' Seonghwa then asked, making sure that San would tell them if something was up. Wooyoung of course would tell them as well if San was experiencing bullying again, but Seonghwa always feared that maybe the bullying would be happening when Wooyoung wasn't there, and San would be too afraid to tell anyone.

'Yep!' San smiled after taking a big gulp of juicy, and gently bringing the glass back down. 'I haven't gotten into any fights and I have been very good.' He spoke and Seonghwa smiled.

'Good.' He complimented the other and reached to pat his head, and drag his finger over the pair of ears poking through his messy hair. San closed his eyes at the feeling and Seonghwa could feel him purr slightly. Seonghwa poked his cheek and laughed as San pouted at him.

'Here.' Seonghwa spoke as he got up and moved to the counter and opened a high cabinet. He took the two pill dispensers and put them onto the table. San immediately reached for his own one that was decorated with car stickers.

It wasn't really necessary for San and Wooyoung to have their medication in pill dispensers, but it made life a bit easier. Seonghwa and Hongjoong could always count the correct amount of pills for the whole week, and they didn't need to run around with the whole bottle. The dispensers were in the small cabinet in the kitchen that Jongho couldn't get to, but Wooyoung and San could get them themselves. San only took his medication in the mornings, with two different pills while Wooyoung had a few pills that he needed to take during the day. Most of them were different vitamins and such, but there were some stomach medicines as well.

Wooyoung luckily didn't need to take any medication during school hours, as he would probably feel slightly uncomfortable taking the pill dispenser to school. Wooyoung did however have his medication for allergic reactions with him at all times. He had never gotten a reaction from cow milk, but the risk was so big that it was always good to have it with you in case something would happen.

Wooyoung took his pills nicely these days. There was no more whining and crying when he had to take them. He ate well these days as well, only sometimes getting picky.

Hongjoong watched as San popped the pills into his mouth and took a gulp of juice right after to wash them down. San opened his mouth and showed Hongjoong that he had swallowed them.

After Wooyoung finished his sandwich, he too reached for his dispenser. His was decorated with stickers of different animals. He opened the first small locker and poured the few pills onto the palm of his hand. Unlike San, Wooyoung couldn't take his pills with just a gulp of juice, but instead liked to take them with some yogurt. He took a spoonful of yogurt and placed one pill on the top of the spoon, then bringing it into his mouth and swallowing. He repeated this until he ate all of the pills.  
By this time Yunho finally managed to crawl down the stairs. Wooyoung and San moved to the living room to watch the tv with Jongho. Mingi had also joined the rest of them at some point, his phone still in his hands.

Hongjoong was just about to ask where his big brother was, when Yunho got to answer it before he even opened his mouth. 'Yeosang said that he is feeling sick, so he wouldn't come.' Yunho defended himself and sat onto a free chair.

'Sick?' Seonghwa asked and Yunho nodded his head. The first thing that popped into Seonghwa's mind was that maybe Yeosang was trying to skip school because of something, and he was pretending to be sick. He did that a lot, but always got caught when you measured his temperature. Seonghwa also thought that maybe he was actually sick, and not pretending. The thought that he was turning didn't hit him until he went upstairs and he was hit with the scent when he opened the door.

It was mild and harmless but Seonghwa could still notice it. Seonghwa looked and saw that Yeosang had fallen asleep again, so he closed the door and stood there for a moment. He cursed under his breath as he quickly walked back downstairs.

'Hongjoong, would you come over here?' Seonghwa asked as he peeked from the stairs. Hongjoong looked at him funny for a moment before he moved from his spot and came to the stairs. Seonghwa looked around and saw that the kids were doing their own thing before he began speaking.

'He is turning.' Seonghwa simply said, and tried not to show how much he was freaking out on the inside. Hongjoong stopped for a moment and just stared at him before finally managing to open his mouth. 'Are you sure? Can you tell just like that?'

Seonghwa crossed his arms and nodded his head. He looked over to the kitchen where Yunho was sitting down and eating. Seonghwa didn't know how to explain to him or the other kids what was going on. He would need to come up with an explanation that they would understand after the situation calmed down a bit. Yunho and Mingi would understand the most as they too knew a bit about turning as they were only one year younger than their big brother. Seonghwa didn't like to think about him turning right now when Yeosang was already going through it.

'He smelled different.' Seonghwa then explained to Hongjoong. There really was no need to call for a doctor or anything, as Seonghwa could easily tell what was going on with Yeosang. This was no regular fever or flu. Any werewolf would say the same, that he was going through a heat.

'What do we do now?' Hongjoong then asked and Seonghwa didn't know what to say. He had tried to come up with a plan before this happened, but never really got to it as he always pushed it further and further. He somewhat didn't think that this day would come so soon, or at all.

'Could you inform the studio and stay home instead?' Seonghwa knew that Yeosang would probably sleep for a while, but when he would wake up- it would be good if someone was home, so that he wouldn't be too confused. Seonghwa couldn't really get out of work with such a short notice, so it would be easier if Hongjoong stayed home instead. Seonghwa would of course like to stay instead but he knew that Hongjoong would handle things just as well.

'Of course.' Hongjoong said immediately. 'I'll also call his teacher and let her know what is going on, so that there will be no confusion.' Seonghwa nodded his head.  
'Hey,' Hongjoong spoke after looking at Seonghwa for a moment. He could see how nervous he was. 'it's gonna be alright.' Hongjoong murmured as he grabbed Seonghwa's hand. His thumb smoothed the skin on his palm in circle motions. Seonghwa let out a sight he didn't know he was holding.

'I know.' He finally said, and weirdly enough- he actually believed his words. He had said them again and again a few times while thinking about this actually happening, but for the first time ever- he actually thought that he was right. It was going to be alright.

'Okay.' Seonghwa murmured out as he turned around to look at the kids. He would need to get them ready and get everyone to their school before driving to work. As Seonghwa's eyes traveled over Jongho- Hongjoong managed to guess what he was thinking about before he even had to say it.

'I'll take Jongho to preschool, and i'll drop by the store to pick out some stuff for Yeosang.' He spoke as he walked down the stairs and took his phone out. He began looking for the right number as he walked into his office and closed the door, so that the sound from the tv wouldn't disturb him.

'Is everything alright?' Yunho then asked, making Seonghwa come back from his own thoughts. Seonghwa turned around to look at the other in the kitchen. Yunho was such a sunshine child, that he could just sense discomfort and sadness if it was around him. He looked worried as he ate his cereal.

'Yes, everything is fine.' Seonghwa spoke as he sat next to the other. 'You know, it's just that... that Yeosang is going through something right now.' Seonghwa spoke, trying to find the right words. 'He isn't sick or anything- so don't think that! It's just that he is- well, he is-'

'Is he turning?' Yunho then asked and Seonghwa let out a laugh. Yeah, that would have been an easier way of saying it.

'Yeah. He is.' Seonghwa then said and Yunho just nodded his head. Yunho looked like he wasn't freaked out by the news, as he just ate his food calmly. Seonghwa had thought that maybe he would be at least a bit freaked out by the news, but he wasn't- which was a big relief.

'He is staying home for a few days, and Hongjoong is going to stay as well, at least for today.' Seonghwa then explained.

'That's good.' Yunho murmured and filled his mouth. 'I learned at school that the first heat will be a bit uncomfortable, so it's good that he won't have to be alone.' Yunho explained and Seonghwa smiled.

'He will be fine.' Seonghwa spoke and ran a hand through Yunho's hair, making the other whine because he already did his hair. 'Especially because he has such a good little brother.' Seonghwa added and Yunho couldn't help but smile.

After Yunho finished eating, and all the kids got dressed for school- Seonghwa wrote down a small paper that he brought upstairs onto Yeosang's nightstand. He didn't want Yeosang to wake up all confused and scared while Hongjoong was out taking Jongho to preschool and going to the store, so he wrote down a few things.

Few of the important things were- Yeosang could ask and tell Hongjoong everything that was bothering him, and he really should if something happened. He could also call Seonghwa whenever he needed, even if he was at work. Seonghwa also thought of one big important thing that he wrote down as the last thing. Please, do not read about it online too much. You will just get more scared. Instead he should wait and ask either Seonghwa or Hongjoong if he thought about something to ask.  
Seonghwa had no other choice but to get dressed and leave for work, and trust that Yeosang would read his advice. He trusted him and that he would come to his parents if anything was bothering him.

*

Hongjoong was feeling oddly calm. He thought that he would be nervous like earlier when Seonghwa first told him that Yeosang was turning, but he felt calm right now. Maybe that was just because he began to think of the situation a bit differently. Yeosang was going through a heat? Well, Seonghwa went through those all the time and it wasn't really anything special, so why was it something to worry about when it was with Yeosang? Well, for many reasons actually... But Hongjoong wasn't going to think about those, because this way he was keen on staying calm.

He took Jongho to preschool and headed straight to the store. He kept looking at his phone every now and then just to make sure that Yeosang hadn't tried to call him. As there wasn't even a text message, Hongjoong knew that Yeosang was still probably sleeping. And he would be doing a lot of that for the next few days.

Hongjoong grabbed a few things from the store- and by a few things, he meant like a massive pile of stuff. He picked out a few things that he knew for a fact Yeosang would want like water and meat, but he also took a lot of snacks and sweets. He just hoped that Yeosang would even try to eat some of the food.

As Hongjoong reached the house, he got a text from a coworker who wished Yeosang would feel better. Hongjoong had called his oldest composer in the new company, Jinyoung, and told him that he wouldn't be able to make it to work today and he told him the reason. The fairy understood immediately and hoped that Yeosang wouldn't be in too much discomfort.

Yeosang also got some more get-well wishes from his teacher when Hongjoong called her. She understood the reason why he wasn't coming clearly, and promised to take care that Yeosang would get everything from school for the time that he wouldn't be able to come. She also promised to let Yeosang's coach know that he wouldn't be coming to any practice for a while.

Hongjoong sighed as he stood in front of the room, the door still closed. Hongjoong felt like he wanted to let Yeosang continue his sleep, but he knew that the other should try to sleep something. He had slept for quite a while already and Hongjoong worried that he would feel even worse if he didn't eat. So, he had to man up and open the door.

Hongjoong wondered what Yeosang smelled like to Seonghwa right now. He had said that there was a scent, but he never described the scent. Hongjoong didn't smell anything as he stepped into the dark room. His automatic reaction was to open the blinds, but decided not to so that Yeosang wouldn't get irritated. Instead he sat next to the lying figure and brought a hand to his forehead.

Yeosang stirred in his sleep as Hongjoong's cool hand touched his hot, wet forehead. He had a small fever, which was regular in the heat. Hongjoong patted his bangs back down, but brushed them away from his eyes.

'Hey sleepyhead.' Hongjoong murmured as he shook the bed slightly. Yeosang slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Hongjoong, probably with trouble as it was dark in the room. 'You hungry?' Hongjoong asked and Yeosang swallowed deeply.

His mouth felt dry, and his head was killing him. His stomach was hurting, and he couldn't figure out if it was because of hunger or because of something else. He came to the slightly scary conclusion that it was because of something else.

'My head hurts.' Yeosang managed to murmur out as he pushed himself up to sit on the bed. He felt how his clothes stuck to his skin as he did so, and he left how the air around the room cooled down his hot skin. He wanted to take a shower but he also wanted to just continue his sleep until he didn't hurt all over anymore.

'I'll give you a painkiller once you eat something. You should never take one in an empty stomach.' Hongjoong explained and Yeosang nodded his head. He closed his eyes again and sat there for a moment. He was confused about what was going on. What time even was it? How long had he been asleep for? Shouldn’t he be getting ready for school by now? Hongjoong could see that confusion on his face even in the poorly lit room.

'Okay, here's what we will do.' Hongjoong then spoke, getting up from the bed. 'You will go take shower while I make you something to eat. When you're ready- come downstairs so we will talk and you'll get to eat.' Yeosang stayed still for a moment before he nodded his head once again.

Hongjoong ruffled his hair before he opened the blinds slightly, letting some light into the room. Yeosang squinted his eyes at the feeling of being blinded by the sunlight, but he quickly got used to it. Hongjoong reminded him to stay awake and go shower before he left.

Yeosang let out a sigh as he reached for his phone that was on the nightstand. Instead he grabbed onto piece of paper that was on top of his phone. He recognized the handwriting and realized that it was from Seonghwa. Instead of reading it, he looked at his phone.

12:46 AM?

Had he really been asleep for over fourteen hours? Weirdly enough he felt like he hadn't gotten any sleep at all. He still felt very tired and like he could sleep for another fourteen hours.

He had to push that thought away and get up instead.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was quiet, as the two sat there. The last conversation that they shared was how Hongjoong somehow managed to make Yeosang eat non flavored meat. The weirder thing was that Yeosang liked it.

'Is it a werewolf thing?' Yeosang had then asked, as he put one and two together pretty easily.

Hongjoong had explained that yes, it indeed was a werewolf thing. Yeosang had nodded his head and quietly put another piece of meat into his mouth.  
'Here is that painkiller I promised you.' Hongjoong spoke as he placed the white pill onto the table with a glass of water. Yeosang thanked him and immediately took it to help with his killer headache.

A silence fell between them again for a while. Yeosang continued to eat his food slowly, as he feared for his hurting stomach. He almost felt like not eating at all, but he also still felt hungry and the food tasted so good that he didn't want to stop eating either.

'Did you notice the note that Seonghwa left you?' Hongjoong then asked.

'Yeah, I saw it but I didn't get to reading it yet. What did it say?' Yeosang asked and drank some more water. He finished the big glass in a second, and still felt thirsty.  
'Um,' Hongjoong murmured as he moved in his seat. 'well, he wrote about a few things, in case you got too confused.' Hongjoong spoke and Yeosang nodded his head after a moment.

'Confused about what?'

Hongjoong let out a deep sigh.

He was a werewolf.

Yeosang had known somehow that this day would come. He always liked to tell himself not to worry about turning, and he just made himself believe that he didn't need to think about it. He would never turn and just stay as a regular kid. That of course didn't happen.

Hongjoong explained to him the situation, and the fact that he was going through his first heat. Yeosang now understood the reason behind his hurting head and stomach. In a way he had always thought that a heat would hurt way more than this, so he was at least a bit happy about that. He would probably change his mind after a few more days of the same feeling. if he didn't get used to it.

Hongjoong kept asking him if he was okay, and Yeosang didn't know what to say to that.

Was he okay with the fact that his whole body felt like it had been hit with a truck? Not really. Was he okay with the fact that his whole life just changed and he could do nothing but watch? Not exactly.

Yeosang couldn't help but feel angry. He felt like this was all unfair and he wished that it wasn't happening to him. He didn't like it when things changed, and just wished that things could stay as they used to be. He wished that he could be normal, even though he no longer knew what the word normal meant.

Yeosang knew that it was wrong, but he wanted to run away from this for a moment. He had many questions in his mind that needed answers, but he didn't want to deal with them right now. Hongjoong understood that as well, when Yeosang voiced out his wish to go back into bed. Yeosang stayed there, in a state of being just in between being asleep and awake until Seonghwa came back home from work.

*

Seonghwa was kinda out of it during the whole day. He noticed himself forgetting things during classes and as he was teaching the kids. But he couldn't help it, as his mind was somewhere else for the whole time.

Seonghwa managed to call Hongjoong during his break and Hongjoong explained to him everything that had happened once Yeosang woke up from his nap. Seonghwa was sad to hear that Yeosang was angry, but that was expected. He just hoped that the other didn't stay angry for too long.

Seonghwa truly felt sorry for the other as he knew what it was like for him, having gone through the same himself. But Seonghwa knew that things got better and that Yeosang was a smart kid, who would understand things after getting over the first shock.

Seonghwa knew that Yeosang wouldn't stay angry for too long, but he also knew that he definitely would be angry at him for a while. Seonghwa was prepared for that, but at the same time he wasn't at all.

Seonghwa felt scared to face Yeosang once he got back home, but he knew that the other feared even more. He needed Seonghwa and Hongjoong to support him, even though he didn't want that at the moment. He had a lot to learn and to experience, and it was much easier if you got the help and advice from people who have gone through the same. Yeosang had all the help that he needed right there, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong would be ready to help him when Yeosang was ready to face the truth.

'Is he asleep?' Seonghwa asked after he got back home with the kids. Yunho had asked Seonghwa in the car how Yeosang was doing, and Seonghwa had to tell him that he didn't know and that they would know once they got home. This got the other kids to wonder about their big brother and Seonghwa realized that they would soon need to tell them as well.

'Yeah, he is.' Hongjoong spoke as he leaned against the wall in the living room, watching as the kids surrounded the couch to do their homework. 'He ate a few hours ago and drank a lot, so he should be okay for a few more hours. He also took a painkiller for his head.' Hongjoong murmured and Seonghwa nodded his head.

'How are you feeling?' Hongjoong then asked and Seonghwa looked confused.

'Me?' Seonghwa asked. 'I'm fine. I'll be even better once i'll get to speak with him.' Seonghwa explained. He really wanted to speak with Yeosang about this one on one. He knew that the other must be so confused and scared, and Seonghwa really wanted to clear up all the questions he had in his mind. But he now had to stay nervous as he also wanted Yeosang to rest and get some sleep. Talking could wait for a while.

They ate dinner after everyone was done with their homework. The atmosphere in the dinner table was lively and happy, as the boys all talked about what they did at school and about the funny things that happened to them during recess. Soon they realized the fact that Yeosang wasn't there at all and Seonghwa's earlier promise in the car came back to their minds.

Seonghwa threw a worried look to Hongjoong, before the other opened his mouth.

Hongjoong explained them all, mostly just everyone else except for Yunho, what was happening with their big brother. He used Seonghwa as an example a lot, and Seonghwa helped him explain as well. They let the kids know that nothing was wrong with Yeosang, and that it was totally normal that he was changing. He would just now have heats, and the kids understood that as Seonghwa had them as well. They weren't too confused but they had a few normal questions about it. Like if Yeosang could still play with them like normal, and Hongjoong let them know that yes, they could indeed play with him like normal. Nothing would change, expect for the heats, and they were quite normal as well.

The kids would understand the meaning of turning a lot better when they were older and had maybe turned as well. The idea of turning didn't make too much sense right now, but it would once they too would come to that point in their life- or maybe didn't. In the end, you never knew. That was the whole thing, as the future was unpredictable and that was just a part of growing up.

Seonghwa nervously looked at the clock on the wall as he sat down on the couch in the living room. He bit onto his fingernails even though San told him not to do so.

'He has been sleeping for a while already.' Hongjoong spoke as he noticed how nervous Seonghwa was. 'Maybe you could wake him up already, so he could eat something.' He suggested and Seonghwa nodded his head and sighed out of relief as he finally got a reason to talk to the other.

Hongjoong smiled at the other as he began moving and finally got to the stairs. Hongjoong knew what Seonghwa was going through and thinking in his mind right now. He had known Seonghwa for way too long, and knew how much he had feared for this day. This had always been one of the most scary things that Seonghwa knew he had to go through someday. Hongjoong still remembers the nights when Seonghwa would be awake as his mind was going through so many things at once, always worrying so much. There wasn't really anything that made him feel any better, as he was the worrying type. In a way, Seonghwa felt relieved right now. As all those nights and days spent worrying would come to an end today.

This is it, he thought as he quietly knocked on the bedroom door.

The scent of heat and werewolf was all over the room, which was odd as Seonghwa hadn't smelled that scent in many years. He had always lived with Hongjoong and the kids who didn't have a decided race yet, and before that he lived at home with his parents and sister. The scent was odd, but familiar and it made Seonghwa remember the old times of living at home with others like him.

Yeosang was sleeping quietly and peacefully as Seonghwa entered the room. The blinds were left open so that there was light inside the room. The sun hit Yeosang's face but he didn't seem to mind as he just continued his slumber.

Seonghwa sat down onto the bed and brought a hand up to touch his forehead. Just like Hongjoong told him earlier, his forehead felt hot and he was a bit sweaty. Those were the most common signs of a heat so it was no surprise that Yeosang was experiencing them on his first day.

'What time is it?' Yeosang suddenly murmured, and Seonghwa didn't even realize that he had woken up. His mouth was now left open but his eyes stayed closed. Seonghwa smiled as he looked so cute.

'It's around 5 PM.' Seonghwa answered him and ran a hand through Yeosang's hair. 'Are you feeling hungry yet? You ate a while ago.' Yeosang slowly nodded his head and let out a yawn.

'My stomach hurts.' He murmured out and managed to open his eyes, blinking a few times in order to get used to the light in the room.

Seonghwa hummed. 'I know honey. You can take another painkiller if you'd like, since it's been a while from the one you took before.' Yeosang nodded his head again and there was a silence.

Seonghwa fixed his position on the bed and looked at Yeosang. 'What are you thinking about?' He asked, placing his hand on Yeosang's leg that was under the covers. 'I heard that you were a bit mad earlier...'

'Yeah, I was.' Yeosang sighed. 'But I feel a bit better after sleeping some more.' Yeosang explained as he looked up to the ceiling.

'I guess I was just mad because I didn't like the thought of change. I would have liked things to stay the same, as change is a bit scary.' Yeosang murmured. 'I was just mad and frustrated so I kinda ran away from Appa instead of listening to him... I'm sorry.'

Seonghwa smiled. 'That's okay. I'm sure that he didn't mind it at all.' Seonghwa assured him and squeezed his hand. 'I understand how you are feeling, and I would have probably done the same.'

'How did you react when you began turning?' Yeosang then asked as Seonghwa brought the topic up. Seonghwa stared at him for a moment before breaking into laughter. Yeosang raised a brow as he watched Seonghwa try to calm himself down.

'Oh I was horrible. I feel so sorry for my parents for having to deal with me back then.' Seonghwa began. 'I was also very angry and scared when it happened. I didn't like the idea of turning one bit and I hoped that it was all just a bad dream. Of course- it wasn't. So I just had to learn to live with the change, and it wasn't so bad in the end.' Yeosang smiled slightly.

Seonghwa turned to take a hold of his hand. 'In the end I realized that turning was just a small part of growing up and it didn't mean that much. The role that I got didn't matter too much, and neither did what everyone else had.' Seonghwa spoke carefully.

'I know that you are probably curious to know what your own role is, but even I can't tell yet. It is still a waiting game. But that's okay, because that just means that we will know another day. It is something that we will deal with another time, when it's time for it.' Yeosang listened and stayed still for a moment before opening his mouth.

'I do wonder about it.' He confessed and Seonghwa hummed. 'But I don't worry about it anymore.' He added and Seonghwa felt a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders.

'I used to think about the role a lot, especially because of the kids in school, but now I don't mind it anymore. I don't care what role i'll get, because I know that it doesn't make a big difference.'

Seonghwa let out a laugh and let his head fall down. He was just so relieved to hear Yeosang say those words. He truly did everything that he could to make him realize that roles didn't matter, and the fact that Yeosang actually understood that was amazing. What great parents they were.

'I am so glad to hear you say that.' Seonghwa confessed and Yeosang smiled shyly at him.

They spoke for a while that evening, until Yeosang got too hungry to continue without some food in his system.

Yeosang had many questions and Seonghwa somehow found all the answers to them, with Hongjoong's help.

Yeosang's heat was proceeding at a normal pace and he didn't get any more symptoms. He continued to have a sore stomach and a headache, accompanied by a fever. Seonghwa already had his assumptions on what his role might be, but he didn't want to start guessing before it could be sensed.

Seonghwa called his parents and let them know the situation. They felt sorry that Yeosang had to be in a bit of pain during his heat, but they were happy that he turned out to be a werewolf. They promised to pay a visit as soon as possible, and they couldn't wait to hear what his role will be. Hongjoong's parents thought the same. They sent him get well wishes and also wanted to know what his role was. Seonghwa still felt a bit sour about all of those bets and such that they always talked about years ago.

They all were so sure that they were right and couldn't wait to point at each other when one was right and one was wrong. Well, Seonghwa couldn't wait to see all of their faces when Yeosang would get to tell them that they were all wrong, as he was an omega. And a proud one.

Seonghwa noticed the change on Yeosang's third day of being in heat. His scent changed and Seonghwa could immediately now name his role, and it was the same that he had been given all those years ago.

Even though Yeosang told Seonghwa that he didn't mind what the role would be, Seonghwa still felt nervous in front of the other when it was time to tell.  
'Okay.' Yeosang had said simply and shrugged his shoulders. Seonghwa, who felt like dying on the inside because of his nerves, didn't really buy his reaction at first. But Yeosang assured him that it was okay, really.

Yeosang was okay with getting the 'worst role of them all', even though most would be devastated. Most would hate it and call it a curse. Seonghwa had broken into tears when Yeosang explained to him why it wasn't a curse to him.

Yeosang was proud to be an omega, because he just so happened to grow up next to one, who was one of the strongest people he has ever met. His father, Seonghwa.

No matter what anyone else would say about omegas, Yeosang knew that they were lying. He knew what a real omega was like, and omegas happened to break all of those ties that had been put on their role many years ago. Yeosang knew that times had changed, and his role didn't define him. He learned from Seonghwa that you could become whatever you wanted, no matter what you were. It didn't matter where you started, as long as you worked hard enough for what you wanted.

If being an omega meant being the worst out of them all, then Yeosang gladly took that role, just so he could continue to prove people wrong.

Yeosang was proud of himself, and so were the family and friends around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter @NE0_ClTY


	4. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kids ages for this chapter:  
> Yeosang: 14-15  
> Mingi and Yunho: 13-14  
> San and Wooyoung: 11-12  
> Jongho: 7-8

'Okay, here's the plan.' Yeosang whispered while supporting Jongho, as the two were crouched down behind the couch. The sound on the tv could mask their voices little, so that they could discuss their next move.

'You sneak behind the armchair and go into Appa's office, there you'll-' Yeosang began whispering his plan to Jongho, but stopped as he heard someone walk close to them. Both Jongho and Yeosang turned around while being crouched down, to see San standing there with a big grin on his face and his tail wagging slowly.

'What are you guys d-' He spoke, but was quickly pulled down by Jongho. Jongho placed a hand over San's mouth as the other began murmuring.

'Listen here, you punk.' Jongho spoke seriously, with that cute lisp of his, and Yeosang had to cover his mouth not to laugh out loud. 'This is the biggest prank of the year, and you will not ruin it for us. So stay low and stay quiet.' Jongho spoke and San stared at him, confused. 'Got it?' Jongho let go of him when he nodded his head.  
San sighed and smoothed down the front of his hoodie, that Jongho had grabbed onto earlier, getting rid of the wrinkles. 'A prank huh?' The pre-teen then whispered and went ahead and played along to make the seven year old happy.

Jongho shushed him but nodded his head. He turned to San to whisper in his ear. 'We are gonna put slime inside Appa's slippers.' Jongho spoke seriously and San let out a pretend gasp.

'Not his slippers.' He murmured out while covering his mouth. Yeosang was breaking next to the two, laughs slipping from his lips even when he tried to stay in character and stay serious. San also kept at looking at him and that made him laugh even more. Jongho threw a mean look at him and he got serious again, but he had to bite his bottom lip in order to stay so.

'It needs to be done.' Jongho then continued, voice low and eyes serious. San swallowed and nodded his head.

'You are right, captain.' San sighed, and Yeosang really thought that he was an excellent actor. Only the fake tears were missing, but he really played his role well.

'He ate my pudding last week, so i'll help you so i can get my revenge.' San murmured and shook Jongho's hand.

  
Yeosang really liked Jongho.

He liked all of his siblings of course, but he had a special place for Jongho in his heart. Perhaps because he remembers everything from the other, even from the moment before he was born.

He really waited a long time for Jongho, and when he finally arrived- Yeosang had been so happy.

Most fifteen year old teens probably didn't spend so much time with their younger siblings, but Yeosang was an exception. He adored all of his younger siblings and loved them all a lot. Jongho was just someone who accepted his love much easier than the other siblings, so the two spend a lot of time together.

Sure, sometimes Yeosang found himself doing a few odd things for someone of his age- like all these pranks for example. Or all those times he voluntarily spent his free time with Jongho doing some things that weren't so interesting in his own mind, like going to the movies to see some kid movie. But it didn't bother him, as he liked to see Jongho happy.

Yeosang sometimes got to do the things that he liked as well, as Jongho sometimes promised to go and play basketball with him, or try to learn how to play video games. Jongho didn't like to do those a lot, but Yeosang appreciated it when he did.

The two were an odd couple, but that was okay, as they both easily thought of each other as their best friends. So it didn't matter what others thought.

Jongho thought that Yeosang was so cool. Like so, so cool. He was the coolest person he had ever met, and that said a lot as Jongho once saw a man with a lizard tattooed on his forehead. That was kinda cool, but not as cool as Yeosang.

Yeosang knew how to play basketball, and he knew how to play the piano. He knew how to play different games and he was good at math. All of those were something that Jongho couldn't do, and the fact that Yeosang could do all of those were really awesome. Jongho really wished that he could be like Yeosang someday.  
Weirdly, other people thought differently.

'He is weird.' A friend of Jongho's had laughed when Yeosang had come over to Jongho's school, to bring him some stuff that he had forgotten at home.

Jongho looked back at them with confusion. 'Yeosang hyung? Why is he weird?' Jongho honestly had no idea why anyone would think that his brother was weird. Somehow the word weird just didn't fit Yeosang well.

Jongho's friend had laughed, and gotten pretty much everyone's attention by now. 'My big brother said so. They have played basketball against his team, so he knows him. He is a weirdo.' The kid explained and others nodded their heads. Jongho shook his.

'He doesn't know Yeosang hyung.' He explained. 'Hyung isn't weird, but cool. He is really cool.' This just made the other kids laugh even more. Jongho suddenly felt his cheeks go red, even without knowing why.

'Cool? He's not cool.' The kid spoke, getting closer to Jongho. Jongho squeezed his backpack handles tighter and took a step back.

'My big brother is cool. Not yours.' The big kid spoke, getting everyone around them to join. 'My big brother could beat your brother any day. He is an alpha, and is better than your omega brother.'

Jongho was slightly confused as to why roles were being thrown around suddenly. He knew what they meant and such, but didn't understand what they had anything to do with this, and Yeosang being not cool.

'But my brother already beats your big brother in basketball all the time, since he has never lost a game.' Jongho then spoke as the thought suddenly hit his memory. The kid looked pretty surprised, so he must have not thought about that. 'So i guess that makes him pretty cool.'

The kid was left speechless, and other kids around them began talking. Most of them were now agreeing with Jongho, and the kid didn't like it.

'He's still weird.' He managed to spat out before running off. The kids around them began laughing and cheering for Jongho, but he was left too confused to say anything.

'Want me to show you how to make the other car explode?' Yeosang asked as he leaned to the left while driving a car in a video game. He ran straight into a corner of a poorly pixelated building and ruined his car. Only when his character died and he sighed, did Yeosang realize that Jongho wasn't playing at all. Instead he was leaning against his arm sadly, looking completely somewhere else and not paying attention to the game. He wasn't even holding onto the controller anymore.

'What's wrong?' Yeosang then immediately asked and turned to the other, leaving the game paused. Jongho shook his head and said that it was nothing, but Yeosang could easily see that something was up. Kids couldn't really hide their true feelings very well, and Jongho was no exception.

'Something just happened at school, that's all.' Jongho murmured and sighed. He looked everywhere else but Yeosang, and he was clearly avoiding him. He had been a bit quiet the whole day after school, but Yeosang hadn't thought much about it as Jongho usually was kinda quiet. But he could now see that this was the cause of something, as he was clearly sulking.

Yeosang recognized that sad look on his face, and put one and two together pretty easily.

'Are you being bullied, Jongho-ah?' Yeosang then asked, getting Jongho's attention.

'No. Not really.' Jongho answered with a sigh. 'It's kinda complicated.'

'How can it be complicated?' Yeosang asked, confused by his brother's words. 'You either are being bullied or you aren't. It's kinda easy to tell.'

'But it really isn't!' Jongho spoke, voice louder. He was getting slightly annoyed by Yeosang who kept on questioning him. 'I would be able to say it if i was being bullied, but it isn't really me who is being made fun of...' He spoke, his voice getting quieter again.

'It's you who they are making fun of...' Jongho looked at Yeosang and he stayed still, processing what Jongho had just said.

'Me?' Yeosang asked, wanting to make sure he heard him right. Jongho sadly nodded his head and played with his hands. Yeosang's own eyes turned to look at the floor beneath their feet. 'Oh.' He let out with a breath.

Yeosang knew that he was different. Sure, he was a werewolf, and an omega. He had a mixed race family, and two fathers. He had bleached blond hair- that Seonghwa hates with all his heart- and pierced ears, that Seonghwa also dislikes very much. Don't ask how he got the permission to get them done, because he didn't. Never mention the daily messy eyeliner that he wore religiously.

The kids in 9th grade found him kinda weird, and he has barely any friends. But that's how he likes it. Yeosang doesn't mind being alone during recess and lunch hour. He likes being alone by himself so he can hear himself think and listen to his music.

So Yeosang knows that he is talked about a lot in his own school, but he would have never thought that he was spoken about in other places as well, like Jongho's class.

'That's okay.' Yeosang spoke, placing a hand on Jongho's shoulder. As Jongho looked back at him, Yeosang showed him a reassuring smile so that he would believe him better. 'I don't mind, so you shouldn't either.'

Jongho pushed his hand off of his shoulder. 'What do you mean it's okay?' The first grader asked, not understanding what on earth Yeosang meant by his words. He didn't understand how it was okay in any way that his brother was being made fun of.

'My classmate is calling you names, and says that you are weird.' Jongho spoke with a deep frown, and Yeosang could do nothing but listen. 'He says that his big brother told him so, and he is wrong. Because you aren't weird! Not to me...' Jongho murmured, crossing his arms. 'It's wrong that he gets to say all those things, because he is wrong.' He added with a whisper.

Yeosang let out a sigh and looked at Jongho.

'Yeah. It is wrong for them to say all those things about me.' He spoke and Jongho nodded his head. 'But, i don't think that you should argue with them.' He added.  
'I don't understand...' Jongho murmured out.

'What i am saying is, that maybe you should just stay quiet or maybe even agree with them.' Yeosang spoke and noticed the way Jongho looked at him like he was crazy. 'It's sounds stupid- i know- but hear me out.'

Even though it wasn't nice to hear that someone was talking about him like that, Yeosang still cared little to nothing about it. He didn't mind really, as he didn't need to deal with it. People could say whatever they wanted, as he didn't care.

So Jongho shouldn't care either. The worst thing that he could do is start a fight with the bully, and cause himself more trouble. Yeosang appreciated the fact that Jongho wanted to protect him in a way, but Yeosang didn't want him to hurt himself doing so. Kids were mean, and Jongho could really get hurt.  
So, Yeosang made a suggestion. And that suggestion kept in some parts that Jongho didn't like at all, but they made sure that he wouldn't get himself into trouble with the bully.

Just be neutral.

Just ignore it.

Don't even notice it, and let it go.

If that doesn't work, then agree with them. Just don't start a fight.

Jongho didn't understand why on earth he would do anything like that, but Yeosang kept on insisting that he would promise him not to protect Yeosang- no matter what the bully said about him. Jongho would have wanted to let the bully know the truth about Yeosang, and prove the bully wrong- but Yeosang didn't want that. And it was confusing Jongho a lot, but he said yes in the end. He just didn't understand why.

Jongho went to school the following day like normal, and came back just like always. He looked much happier than yesterday when he first spoke to Yeosang about the bully situation. He even smiled at the dinner table and played a few games with Yeosang and San.

They spoke about school and Jongho said that he didn't even speak with the bully. Yeosang was relieved to hear that.

What he did not know was that Jongho had lied, and he currently felt horrible guilt for what he had done.

Not only did he lie to Yeosang when he asked him about school, but he spoke with the bully. And he did the one thing that he hated more than lying, and that Yeosang would have probably loved to hear.

He had to agree with what the bully was saying. He had no other choice.

Just like the day before- he was suddenly embattled by a bunch of kids during recess. The bully being there as well, leading the whole thing.

The topic suddenly changed into Yeosang again, and Jongho did exactly what Yeosang told him to do. He ignored it, tried to change the subject and he even tried to leave the situation. But he got always put back to the spotlight. So he had no other choice, but to lie and agree with them.

The bully was satisfied that Jongho believed him, and Yeosang would have probably been relieved to know that Jongho did what he asked of him. So why did Jongho feel so sick in his stomach suddenly?

*

Hongjoong sighed deeply as he looked at the scene in front of him. He had just managed to crawl out of his office for the first time in a few hours, because he had a lot of important emails that he had to read through and send. He was tired after a long day of work, had a headache and he was starving. All he wanted to do was lay down on the couch for a moment and just close his eyes. But he couldn't do that, as Wooyoung and Seonghwa had taken over the couch, both wrapped around in blankets.

Wooyoung coughed as he looked through tv channels, trying to find something interesting, while Seonghwa just stared blankly at the switching screen. He had just woken up from a long nap and was still trying to wake up.

The two looked quite funny, and almost pitiful in a way. It was a funny coincidence that Wooyoung happened to have his heats the same time as Seonghwa.

Wooyoung had turned earlier this year, after he turned twelve. He was the same age as Yeosang, and also turned into an omega.

Wooyoung wasn't too happy about it at first, but he got good advice from Yeosang who had been dealing with being an omega himself for almost three years now. Seonghwa of course also told him good things.

Hongjoong had thought that it was hard having two people in the house who were going through heats. Now, the number being four, Hongjoong really missed those times.

'There is no food.' San murmured from the armchair, while looking through his phone. His face was lit up by his phone's screen, and his green eyes looked almost scary in a way as they glowed. Seonghwa murmured something under his breath but Hongjoong wasn't able to catch it, because Wooyoung turned the volume louder on the tv.

'Dad was too busy taking care of Wooyoung that he couldn't make food, and now he is tired again.' San sighed and repeated what Seonghwa had said. Hongjoong nodded his head and turned to the kitchen. Ah, he would have to remember how to make edible food again.

'Don't blame me.' Hongjoong heard Wooyoung murmur under his covers, as he looked through the fridge to see what was in there. He hoped that he wouldn't need to leave and go to the store to buy stuff.

'I wasn't.' San spoke back, with a teasing tone. 'I am just saying, that maybe we would have food if it wasn't for you being lazy.' Hongjoong heard him say, and he also heard how Wooyoung threw a curse at San, causing Seonghwa to raise his voice.

Hongjoong let out a laugh as San screamed, Wooyoung whining loudly.

'I might be tired, but i can still ground you two. So don't test me.' Seonghwa warned the two pre teens, before he slumped back down onto the couch. There was a small silence before Seonghwa spoke out again.

'And San, don't ever blame someone for their heat. It wouldn't feel too nice if it happened to you.' Seonghwa murmured and San stayed quiet, but he probably nodded his head.

'Yeah, i know.' He finally answered, voice low and depressed. He hated it when Seonghwa came in between his and Wooyoung's play fights.

San sometimes had a hard time understanding when he was playing and when he was actually crossing the line and turning more into being mean. That was the animal in him, that sometimes had a hard time being around other non cat hybrids. He was like that ever since he was a kid. Then he liked to physically play and fight a lot, but now it's more vocal fighting. He doesn't mean the things that he sometimes says, but Hongjoong and Seonghwa still always like to remind him to act well.  
San had changed a lot during the last few years. Before, he was a hyper kid that was always jumping around and making a lot of noise. These days he has gotten a lot quieter.

Perhaps that is because of his medication dosage for his ADD has gotten bigger than before, or just because of the starting puberty and heats.  
San was the second one of the kids to turn.

San was ten at the time, and he was honestly very scared of the whole process. Seonghwa and Yeosang however got him to relax a lot as they talked to him about it a lot. So he was okay about it in the end.

Unlike with Yeosang, Seonghwa wasn't able to tell what San's role was. As he wasn't able to tell that from other races other than his own. So they had to visit the doctors after San's first heat was finally over.

San's long time doctor, who was a cat hybrid herself, was easily able to tell them that San was a beta. San's role was always something that they couldn't even guess, as they never got to know what San's birth parents roles were.

There were some records left of San's birth mother, but no mention of her role. His father had nothing written about him, as his mother didn't even know who the father might have been. So there was little to no information at all, so they had to kinda just wait to see what role San might get.

In the end the role you get is mostly determined by your parents genes and their family's role history. But there were a few odd cases where a role was passed onto a child, even though the role hadn't been seen in the family blood line for quite a while.

Like Seonghwa for example. His recent family blood line consists of mostly betas and alphas. The last omega that was related to him and passed the gene on to him had died a long, long time ago.

Every wolf carried all three role genes in their system, as it was highly impossible that they were so called 'purebred'.

Seonghwa had grandparents who were alphas and betas, and so were his parents. But the omega gene was still active in their blood the whole time. It was just a matter of time before that gene decided to show itself again. It just so happened to do that when it was Seonghwa's time to turn.

Seonghwa still carries beta and alpha genes in him as well, but the two are now suppressed as Seonghwa is an omega, and that gene is the strongest in him. Hongjoong doesn't have a role gene in his blood, so it is very high that all of their children will be either humans, or werewolf omegas.

Seonghwa had known this all along as it was quite obvious, but others had a more difficult time understanding. Like Seonghwa's parents, for example.

'An omega, huh?' Seonghwa's mother cooed as she saw Yeosang for the first time after she got the phone call that he had gotten his first heat. Seonghwa already told her on the phone that he had gotten the omega role, but his mother was having a hard time believing him.

'Yep.' Yeosang smiled at her, trying to ignore the way that everyone was looking at them in the house. Yeosang had really feared coming to the family meeting, for this exact reason. Seonghwa even gave him the permission to stay home- or that they all would skip this year- but Yeosang wanted to come anyways. He didn't want to hide from anyone because of his role.

'I could have sworn that you would have been an alpha.' His grandmother then said, making Yeosang's smile fade away slowly. She noticed this.

'But that's okay! It's okay!' She panicked, rubbing Yeosang's shoulder. 'I don't mind at all, honey. I love you no matter what role you have, and so does everyone else.' She assured him, and for a while Yeosang really thought that it was okay and it was going to be alright.

But then the phone call's started at home.

And then Yeosang saw Seonghwa cry in the kitchen, while Hongjoong was comforting him.

It wasn't okay, and it wasn't going to be alright, with her.

Somehow things got better after a while, and Yeosang forgot about what happened back then. Seonghwa became happy again, and no longer fought with his mother on the phone. He no longer cried after getting a phone call from his mother or father, and things got back to normal. Until they didn't again.

The next two family meetings after Yeosang turned, went fine. There were no awkward fights between Seonghwa and his parents and no one questioned Yeosang's role anymore. They all had gotten used to the fact that he was an omega already, and thought nothing of it.

Then Wooyoung turned as well, and it all started again.

The phone calls, the letters from family members who lived far, the awkward meeting's with aunts and uncles. Yeosang had to see Wooyoung go through the same process, and so did Seonghwa. He had enough of it all, and they didn't participate in the next family meeting. Seonghwa didn't explain why when his mother asked him, as the reason was pretty obvious to everyone.

Well, except for her.

Things took a turn towards the better when Mingi suddenly presented as a Beta- which obviously made Seonghwa’s mother very happy. But it was all due to the wrong reasons. Now they were giving Yunho pressure as he was yet to present- even when his own twin did. Seonghwa also didn’t want the sudden congratulations and nice words thrown at him from his side of the family- as if he had done something great. Mingi turning out to be a Beta was just as amazing as Yeosang and Wooyoung being Omegas. 

*

'Jisoo turned into an alpha.' Yunho spoke as he came into his, Mingi and Yeosang's shared room. Yeosang removed one of his earphone pieces just in time to hear what he said. He let out a hum as Yunho threw himself onto his bed.

'Did aunt Mina call?' He asked, thinking that it was probably her who told the news to Seonghwa.

'No. It was grandma.' Yunho murmured and Yeosang nodded his head. No wonder why Yunho seemed so down, as the atmosphere downstairs was probably quite down as well, because of the phone call.

There was a silence. Yeosang didn't turn his music back on, but instead just stared at the bright computer screen. He heard the constant tapping of Yunho's feet on the wall that kept a rhythm.

'Do you think that i'll turn?' Yunho then asked, breaking the silence. His voice was quiet and careful, as he knew this topic was something that was quite taboo in the house at the moment. Seonghwa was on edge all the time because of his mother.

Yeosang put down his earphones and span around in his chair. He looked at Yunho, who's eyes were stuck to the ceiling.

'Does it matter?' He then asked, using that same old question he remembered Seonghwa using on him a while back. Yunho turned to his side and looked at Yeosang.  
'I don't know.' He sighed. 'It's just... complicated.' He managed to get out and Yeosang nodded his head. He knew exactly what Yunho was feeling, as he had been in the same position not too long ago.

'I feel kinda relieved that I haven't turned yet, but at the same time I feel kinda left out in an odd way, you know?' Yunho asked, playing with his fingers. Yeosang agreed with him.

Yunho was fourteen, and he hadn't turned yet. Even Wooyoung- who was two years younger- had already turned, and it was making Yunho wonder. And even his twin Mingi had already turned, and was a beta. Mingi and San could bond over their Beta roles, even when San was a little different as a cat hybrid. Yunho and Jongho were the only ones who didn't have their race sorted yet. At this point Yunho felt like their youngest sibling would find out his own role before him.

Yunho knew that Seonghwa turned when he was fifteen, so there was a chance that he would turn at an older age. But the fact that all his younger siblings had already turned at a young age, made him think otherwise.

The thought of being the only human kid in the family kinda scared Yunho. He was afraid of feeling left out.

'I don't think that Appa feels left out as a human.' Yeosang then spoke. 'He is the only human in the whole house, and he is still a part of our family, and I don't think that anyone of us has ever thought of him as different.' Yunho had to nod his head as Yeosang was correct.

The two of them never thought that Hongjoong was different, even thought he kinda was. The thought never crossed their minds when they were younger, as they never noticed it. Now that they were older, they realized that Hongjoong was a bit different from their family. Well, at least Seonghwa's side of the family.

Hongjoong looked a bit out of place in every family meeting. He sometimes had a hard time understanding what the others were talking about, even though he had been around werewolves for quite a long time. Yeosang could understand why Yunho feared being left out because of that. But he would never have to fear that happening in this household.

'We are all different in our own ways.' Yeosang then spoke. 'Appa is a human, San is a hybrid, some of us have turned and some not. Some of us have to eat meds or something else, while others don't. We are all different, and that's what makes us even closer as a family don't you think?'

Yunho stared at him for a moment before breaking into a smile.

Seonghwa's parents came back to normal after a few more months. They realized that they had been acting ridiculous and just mean. They were pushing Seonghwa and the kids away with their ridiculous reactions to the roles that they got and they now realized it. They didn't want to repeat the same mistakes that they did with Seonghwa when he turned. They needed to learn more about omegas and about roles in general in today's society. They needed to know that it really wasn't a big deal that Yeosang and Wooyoung were omegas. And as sad as it sounds, if they wished for that perfect alpha grandchild- they already got it with Jisoo. So they might as well just learn to accept Wooyoung and Yeosang as they are, with their omegas roles as well.

It would take time, but they would get there.

*

Hongjoong had a bad feeling for that whole day. He didn't know what was wrong, but he just knew that something wasn't right.

He checked his calendar many times, making sure that he didn't forget anything, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He checked his phone a few times during work, making sure that no one had tried to call him, but no one hadn't.

He almost forgot the whole feeling until his phone began ringing around 12 AM after his lunch break.

Hongjoong was confused to see the callers name, San show up on his screen. He casually answered the call, figuring that San just wanted to ask him to come pick him up from school today or something like that. He expected to hear a lot of things from him, but not this.

Hongjoong ran from his office, passing a few coworkers as he ran to the elevator. When asked if everything was alright, Hongjoong only managed to get out 'family emergency' before pressing the first floor.

'I-i did everything that I could remember t-to do.' San managed to sniffle out before hugging Hongjoong tightly again. He sobbed onto his chest loudly while Hongjoong rubbed his back.

'I know you did.' Hongjoong assured him, holding onto him tightly. He didn't care that people around them were looking at them oddly. You would think that the people waiting in the ER would be a bit understanding, but apparently not.

'I-is Dad gonna come too?' San then asked, lifting his head to look up to Hongjoong. His eyes were red from crying, and his ears had been stuck to pointing downwards for quite a while now. He was shivering slightly from being scared and shocked, and it hurt Hongjoong seeing him like that. He brought a hand up to brush away the tears that continued to fall down his red cheeks.

'He will be here in a few minutes.' Hongjoong answered and San nodded his head.

'What about the rest?' The rest meaning his siblings.

Hongjoong hadn't texted anyone else, as he didn't want to worry them. Jongho didn't even have a phone with him in school due to his young age, so Hongjoong would need to contact his teacher. Hongjoong hoped that the situation would get better, so that he wouldn't need to do any of those things.

When Hongjoong got the phone call from San, he had expected to hear his voice. But it was a voice of an unknown man instead. They soon introduced themselves as a paramedic who had asked permission to use San's phone, to tell their parents the situation in school.

Wooyoung had gone into anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction. When Hongjoong heard that, all the color from his face faded and he felt like fainting. But he didn't. But instead ran to his car and quickly arrived at the ER.

Wooyoung was currently going through a few tests and such, to firstly find out which substance caused him the reaction. It was either cow’s milk or gluten that he must have gotten by accident.

He got the first symptoms of the reaction a few minutes after eating lunch. He and San were hanging out in the school yard when his stomach started acting up. He began getting red spots on his arms and San soon realized what was going on.

As he was around Wooyoung all the time, he was taught very well to notice his allergic reactions and what to do if he were to get one. Everyone of course hoped that he would never have to be in the situation, but it was important that he knew what to do if it were to happen.

And he did. San did exactly what he was supposed to do.

He made Wooyoung sit down and lean onto something while he took out his phone and dialed 911, while speaking with the person on the other end- he looked for Wooyoung's adrenaline injection that was inside his backpack. When he got permission from the person on the phone, he injected the epi-pen into Wooyoung's clothed thigh. After this San managed to yell for a teacher who came to help as well.

Wooyoung stayed awake for the whole time until the ambulance arrived. He was taken to the hospital, with San accompanying him. Once they arrived Wooyoung was taken into ER and the paramedics called Hongjoong. That's how they got here.

'I am fine, really.' Wooyoung weakly managed to speak out as he looked at all the worried faces around him. San sat on his other side, while Hongjoong and Seonghwa sat on the other. Seonghwa was so worried and stressed that it actually took Hongjoong a good while to get him to actually sit down.

'We were so worried.' Seonghwa sighed as he reached for Wooyoung's hand. He held it carefully as it had a i.v in it.

The epi-pen really did it's job as Wooyoung managed to survive through his reaction without going unconscious or losing the ability to breath. It was a small reaction that was almost completely cured by the adrenaline injection, but it was so important that he did get that injection in time. San did an amazing job.

Wooyoung was put through a few blood tests and such so that they would know what was the cause of his reaction. They were currently waiting for the results to come back. Wooyoung needs to stay in the hospital for at least 6 more hours to make sure that his symptoms don't come back. Hongjoong and Seonghwa already made a plan that Seonghwa would stay with Wooyoung until he could come back home, while Hongjoong went back home with the kids. San however wanted to stay as well. When asked why he just said that he needed to make sure that Wooyoung was alright. He got a bad scare from all of this as well, and now wanted to make sure that his brother was alright.

Wooyoung too could see this.

'Hey.' He spoke and got San's attention. Wooyoung smiled as he saw the other properly. His eyes were swollen and red, he had marks of tears on his cheeks and he was still sniffling because of his runny nose.

'I'm alright now.' Wooyoung spoke as he reached for San with his free hand. He tapped his leg a few times, leaving his hand there. San stared at his hand for a while before lifting his gaze again. He was crying again.

'I was so scared.' San whined out, bringing a hand to wipe away his continuously falling tears. Hongjoong looked at the two for a moment before pulling on Seonghwa's sleeve. Seonghwa realized what he had in mind and the two got up and left the room, but not before telling the two to make sure to call for them if anything were to happen.

'I'm sure that you were.' Wooyoung spoke while looking at the other. 'But I wasn't.' He added, making San look back at him confused.

'How could have you not been scared?' San asked. 'You could have... you could have died.' He added with a whisper.

Wooyoung hummed. 'I know that. But I still wasn't scared. Wanna know why?' San carefully nodded his head, playing with his fingers.

'I wasn't scared, because you were there for the whole time. And because I knew that you would take care of me no matter what. I knew that i would be alright.' Wooyoung spoke honestly and San sat there for a moment, not saying anything. Until he broke into tears again.

Wooyoung laughed as San crawled into his bed, hugging his side carefully.

Hongjoong broke into tears as he walked into the room a moment later to see the two sleeping on the same hospital bed together. Seonghwa smiled as he comforted Hongjoong with a laugh. Hongjoong would slap his chest for laughing at his reaction, but he couldn't help it. The two were so cute when they were together like that. It had been a while since they saw the two like that.

The two were almost inseparable when they were little, but like all siblings they soon began to grow apart. They began having other friends and began fighting with each other more often. Soon they found something to fight about almost daily. Their relationship changed a lot from what it used to be, but they never lost what they had before.

San might be almost a whole head taller than Wooyoung, but he is still his little brother that Wooyoung loves very much and likes to take care of.

Wooyoung was a short and skinny kid who had glasses and was allergic to almost everything, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't beat up everyone who made fun of his little brother.

Most people thought that Wooyoung was the younger sibling when they first learned that the two were siblings, and were surprised to hear that it was the other way around. Wooyoung used to be a bit sour about the fact that San grew up to be bigger than him and taller than him. Wooyoung looked like a ten year old next to the other and that bothered him sometimes.

But it was times like these that you could clearly see that Wooyoung was the older one. San was basically just a big baby- even thought he hated to hear that. Wooyoung was kinda like Yeosang, with his smart words and decisions. He often made sure that San didn't do anything stupid in school and he helped him out a lot.  
The two didn't use honorifics when talking to or about each other, as they were born so close to each other. But San still respected Wooyoung a lot, even though you wouldn't be able to tell most of the time as he liked to bully the other so much. But Wooyoung usually got his revenge, so they were 50/50. And it seemed like their relationship was working just fine like that, so there was no reason to change it. But it was nice for both of them when there were times like these. When they hugged each other just like they were kids again, not thinking about anything else.

San sometimes remembers angrily saying that he wishes that Wooyoung wasn't his brother when they had really bad fights. Wooyoung knows that he didn't mean it seriously, just like he never really means it when he says it as well. But that just makes the apologies seem even more sincere and real.

'I guess this is why Appa always says to keep good relationships with your siblings.' Wooyoung murmured quietly. San hummed after a moment, his head pressed against Wooyoung's chest. His bigger size made it so that his legs were hanging off of the small children's bed that Wooyoung fit into perfectly.

But San didn't mind. He brought his knees closer to his chest and hugged Wooyoung's side tighter. Wooyoung brought a hand up to pat his head, hand going over his folded ears that still hadn't lifted up. Wooyoung smiled when he began to purr slightly.

'I love you, San.'

'I love you too, Wooyoungie.'

'San cried?' Yeosang let out a laugh while listening to Wooyoung's stories from the hospital at the dinner table.

He was let out 5 hours after first getting into the hospital. He had no other symptoms of an allergic reaction and the doctors managed to figure out what caused the reaction even in the first place. It was wheat that Wooyoung had somehow eaten and began to digest. The hospital already contacted the school, to figure out how on earth Wooyoung was given food that had wheat in it. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were furious about it actually, but decided to let it go for today. They didn't need to stress about more things or more importantly- stress Wooyoung. They would hear more about it tomorrow, and Wooyoung wouldn't be going to school that day so he could get some rest. And both Hongjoong and Seonghwa honestly feared that he would be given more food that would cause him harm, so they were more comfortable knowing that he was at home where he was safe from such mistakes.

San snorted while looking down at his plate. 'I did not.' He spoke, then lifting his head up to see everyone staring at him.

'Okay, maybe a little.' He murmured out, making everyone smile. San whined when Seonghwa leaned over and hugged his side, finishing off with leaving a big kiss on his cheek. San made an annoyed noise and a face, but his cheeks turned red anyways.

'I would have cried too.' Mingi then spoke, trying to make San feel a bit better. San appreciated his effort and nodded his head.

'You cry all the time, so it wouldn't have been anything new.' Wooyoung murmured out while taking a mouthful of food. San laughed loudly at his comment, and others couldn't help but laugh a bit as well.

Mingi squinted his eyes as his cheeks got some color into them. He would have defended himself if it wasn't for the fact that he cried just yesterday while watching a cartoon with Jongho. It wasn't even that sad, and even Jongho didn't cry.

'It's okay Mingi hyung.' Jongho then spoke, placing a hand at Mingi's back. Mingi would have probably taken this gesture seriously if it wasn't for the fact that Jongho's fingers were probably covered in food and he was just wiping them in his shirt.

'I used to cry all the time as well, but then i grew up. Maybe you will grow up too someday.' The seven year old spoke seriously, not understanding why everyone was suddenly laughing.

'I hate you guys.' Mingi murmured while slowly sliding underneath the table.

*

'Uh, no. I don't think you need to do that hyung...' Jongho murmured while playing with his backpacks strings nervously. Yeosang raised an eyebrow as he looked at the other. He didn't understand why Jongho was suddenly acting like this, as all he did was offer to walk him to school. He often walked the short walk together with Jongho before continuing to his own school that was right next to the elementary school. San and Wooyoung still went to the same school as Jongho, as they were in sixth grade, but their classes started later than Jongho's.

Yunho and Mingi were in eight grade and their classes started at the same time as Wooyoung's and San's so the four walked together, while Yeosang and Jongho often walked together. He couldn't understand why he suddenly didn't want to do so, as he often was even excited to be with him.

'Are you sure?' Yeosang then asked, crossing his arms.

Jongho quickly nodded his head. 'Yeah, i am. I just think that maybe it would be good for me to walk alone sometimes.' He said and Yeosang nodded his head.

'I mean, I guess, but I still don't really understand why you would need to go alone.' Yeosang spoke, picking up his own backpack. He could hear Yunho yell his goodbyes in the kitchen, followed by Wooyoung and San. Seonghwa's faint voice could also be heard coming from somewhere in the house, telling the kids to be careful and reminding them to grab their lunch money from the kitchen’s piggy bank.

'I think i need to become more independent.' Jongho then spoke, probably just wanting to use the fancy word he recently learned. The youngest looked quite proud of himself, fixing his posture.

'Okay?' Yeosang let out a laugh and looked at the other. 'If you think so, then okay. I'll let you go first.' Yeosang spoke and watched as Jongho began putting on his shoes.

'Bye bye!' Jongho smiled as he left, but Yeosang could see that everything wasn't alright. Yeosang hummed out his goodbye and watched as Jongho walked down the few steps into the front yard before taking a right to the school road.

'He wanted to walk alone?' Seonghwa suddenly spoke, surprising Yeosang who was still in his own thoughts. Yeosang nodded his head and turned to see Seonghwa standing there still in his pajamas and a toothbrush in his mouth. Though a teacher, Seonghwa sure loved to take his sweet time before getting to work.

'That's odd.' Seonghwa murmured, foam falling to his lips. 'He hates going alone.' Yeosang nodded his head, as he was right. Jongho did hate walking alone.

Jongho had walked the short walk to school alone a few times, as Seonghwa and Hongjoong wanted him to know the way there on his own in case they couldn't come pick him up or if there was no one to walk with him.

So Jongho knew what ways to take and walk to get to the school, but he still preferred to walk with someone. Mostly that someone was Yeosang.

Yeosang looked at Seonghwa and the two stared at each other for a moment. There was a thought that both of them had and it looked like they both understood the fact that something was up with Jongho.

'Yeosang, could you be a dear and keep an eye on him..? think you should go after him...' Seonghwa managed to murmur out with a mouth full of foam before Yeosang began putting on his shoes. He yelled out a goodbye before he ran out of the door. Seonghwa waved from the door.

Yeosang felt kinda ridiculous. He acted like a spy as he walked a few meters behind Jongho for the whole way to school. If someone would have paid attention, they would have thought that Yeosang would be about to kidnap this small kid walking in front of him. But luckily no one paid attention, and Yeosang got to stalk him without problem.

Jongho didn't stop anywhere like Yeosang first thought. His first thought for his odd behavior would have been that Jongho wanted to stop by a store to buy candy or something like that. But he didn't.

Jongho walked straight to school and Yeosang already managed to relax and walk regularly behind the other. He didn't mind it if Jongho noticed him by now, as it really didn't seem like Jongho had anything in his mind other than to get to school by himself.

Yeosang watched as Jongho entered the elementary school's yard and went to a group of kids, who were probably his friends. Yeosang smiled as he walked past the school gates and continued his way to his own school.

He did however pause to look back at Jongho just in case before he got too far away from the school. He did not notice Yeosang at all, but laughed out loud with his friends and Yeosang was happy to see that. His happiness faded away however when he noticed one kid looking straight at him. He did not know the kid, but he recognized his face- no, his big brother's face easily.

Suddenly the horror that that kid might have been the kid who told all those things about him to Jongho a few weeks ago filled Yeosang's mind.

Yeosang cursed under his breath as he made himself look away from the kid staring at him. He walked faster so that he wouldn't miss class.

He suddenly felt horrible guilt for not believing Jongho and just staying behind, as there was a reason why he didn't want to be seen walking with him.

He also felt fear for what Jongho would have to deal with that kid now that he saw Yeosang.

Mostly, he felt kinda hurt. As Jongho had told him that he wasn't talking with the kid who made fun of Yeosang. Yeosang really thought that Jongho was telling the truth, but he now knows what he had indeed lied. Yeosang didn't know why, and he honestly didn't feel like knowing either.

Yeosang stepped inside the school with earphones in his ears, music blasting loudly to cover all sound and even his own thoughts. But that was the whole point, as he didn't feel like listening to anyone. Not even his own thoughts, as they were currently all over the place.

The only thing keeping him focused during the day was the thought that he would get to play basketball after all his classes, and that gave him something to hold onto while sitting down in boring classes.

'So, how was school?' Hongjoong asked after everyone had managed to calm down at the dinner table. Yeosang ignored the question and dove for his food, as he wanted to go take a shower as fast as possible. He was still wearing his training clothes and smelled kinda funny. But he hadn't managed to go and take a shower as he was also hungry.

'Boring as always.' Wooyoung snorted while filling his plate. He had returned to school a few days ago, after being away for two days. The one day that he was supposed to be at home turned into two after there was no answer from school regarding the reason behind his allergic reaction. Seonghwa and Hongjoong didn't want to risk him having another reaction, so they made him stay at home. Wooyoung had no problem with that at all, and was quite happy that he got to watch tv all day while eating snacks.

They got the answer that they had been looking for on his second day of being at home, when the school informed all parents that there had been a mistake in the food ingredients in the factory where they made the school lunches. The factory was informed of the mistake and they took control of the situation, and even promised to pay for Wooyoung's hospital bills. They also looked into the problem more deeply, making sure that no one else had gotten a similar allergic reaction because of their mistake.

Anyways, Wooyoung was able to go back to school the next day. Even though he didn't really want to, as he got used to being lazy at home instead.

Yunho had won some prize for a dancing competition at school that he was very excited about. San somehow managed to get through a math test for the first time without having Sooyoung as his assistant, which was surprising to everyone. Mingi had failed an english test and was very ashamed to admit that- after all the help he got from Hongjoong- but his father did not shame him in any way, just promised to help him even more so he could absolutely destroy the test next time.

Seonghwa had to call the fire department because one of his students burned a pan full of vegetables so badly, while Hongjoong had to manage through the worst recording session in his whole life with a new rookie group. Everyone had a lot to talk about what happened during the day, while Jongho stayed quiet. Yeosang had an idea why.

He glanced at the other every now and then just to see what he was doing. Jongho was leaning against his other hand, while playing with his food lazily. Hongjoong noticed this as well and told him to eat properly. Jongho just sighed and managed to take one bite before going back to playing.

Yeosang quickly finished his food, thanked Hongjoong for making it, and disappeared to the second floor to take a shower.

Everyone else had eaten already after Yeosang was finished and came out of the bathroom. He was met face to face with San at the door who managed to murmur out something about the other bathroom's being used before he closed the door behind Yeosang.

Mingi had already taken his usual place in front of the computer in their room and had begun playing some game. Yeosang ignored the fact that it was his turn to use the computer today around this time of the day and went to their shared closet instead. He took out a big black hoodie and some grey sweatpants. Hongjoong would be proud of his comfortable fashion sense.

Yeosang was just about to say something to Yunho, when there was a knock on the door. Both he and Mingi turned to look at the door that was closed, before Yeosang moved to open it.

On the other side was Jongho who stood there awkwardly.

'Can i come in?' He asked after he realized that Yeosang wasn't going to say anything. Mingi heard him as well and said 'yes' but Jongho stood still, waiting for Yeosang to give him the permission as well. Yeosang stayed quiet, but nodded his head and stood to the side so Jongho could walk into the room.

Mingi looked at the awkward scene in front of him as the two kinda just stood there. Yeosang finally decided to move and sat down on his bed, taking his phone from his hoodie pocket.

Jongho stood there, playing with his fingers and looking down at the floor. Mingi crossed his arms and made a noise, getting both of their attention.

'Everything alright?' He asked after no one said anything. He rolled his eyes as Yeosang and Jongho just looked at each other for a moment before looking away quickly.

'No?' He continued, trying to get some answers out of the two. But he was only met with silence.

'Yeosang hyung, are you seriously giving Jongho the silent treatment over something? Aren't you a little bit too old to do so?' Mingi laughed as Yeosang looked sour.  
Then there was silence again. Mingi let out a sigh and spun back around to the computer at the corner. He shut the laptop and spun back around to see the two staring at him. Mingi smiled as he got up.

'Well, as you two seem to have everything under control, i guess you don't mind me leaving right?' He spoke, slowly making his way over to the door. He could see the way Yeosang's eyes moved frantically as he got closer to the door. He opened it and stepped out of the room.

'I'll return once you get everything back to normal. This isn't how you two are around each other.' He said before closing the door behind him, leaving the two in the room by themselves.

There was that silence again, until Yeosang let out a sigh. Mingi was right, he was acting stupid. He was ignoring his seven year old brother, and liked to pretend to be the smarter one in the situation even though he was being very childish right now for a fifteen year old.

'I think i need to apologize.' Yeosang then said, breaking the silence in the room.

Jongho looked at him, surprised. 'I thought that i was supposed to say that.' He murmured out as he looked at Yeosang for the first time since what happened before. The corner of Yeosang's lip lifted into a small smile as he looked at the other.

'I guess you could apologize if you wanted to. But I would like to know the reason why first, though.' Yeosang spoke and Jongho nodded his head.

'Because i lied to you.' He started quietly. 'I said that i never talked with the mean kid at school again, but i actually did. And it wasn't very fun to be with him... So i promised not to hang out with him anymore today.' Jongho took a breath between sentences, as he spoke so fast. 'I also need to apologize because i left you alone today, and walked alone... Because i didn't want the bully to see me with you, because the name calling would have started again.'

'But... But he did see you today, when you came after me. So he began questioning me about it again, and I told him to stop. I didn't want to hang out with him anymore, even if that meant that i didn't have any friends in school...' Jongho murmured sadly, but cheered up quickly.

'But other kids thought the same, surprisingly. They didn't like the fact that the bully was always making fun of me and you, so they stood up for me.' Jongho spoke and Yeosang nodded his head.

'That's good.' He smiled, relieved.

'I want to apologize for ignoring you like that today.' He began. 'It was really good that you decided to come up here to talk with me, as i probably wouldn't have done it. You were really grown up for doing so.' Jongho smiled shyly and Yeosang cheered up as well.

'It's okay hyung.' Jongho assured him and that actually made Yeosang feel more relieved. He soon got up from his place and pulled Jongho into a hug, messing with his hair and hearing him whine out at the gesture. He let go of the other when he was done with ruining his hair.

'We should go thank Mingi for making this possible.'

*

'Yeah! Yunho hyung!' San screamed loudly as he saw Yunho enter the stage, followed by other cheers as well. Wooyoung covered his face in embarrassment as their classmates looked at them weirdly as San literally almost fell down from screaming so loudly. Their teacher had kinda given up and proceeded not to care even if they were making such a loud noise.

Wooyoung searched the big gym for people he could recognize and happened to notice Jongho just as the other looked for him as well. Jongho sat in the front row with his classmates and teacher. He smiled and waved up at him and San, before turning back to face the stage as Yunho's performance began.

The lights were dimmed and people began screaming louder as the dance competition started, Yunho performing by himself at first to get the show started. Wooyoung couldn't help but get up as well and cheer loudly as Yunho began dancing.

Wooyoung too would have liked to participate in the dance competition, as he began learning dancing as well, but he was too shy. The thought of performing on such a big stage scared him, and he rather would just learn a bit more before doing something as brave as Yunho did.

Yunho danced to a very fast paced remix of some popular pop song, with choreography that he made himself with the help of his dance teacher. He was amazing, actually. Wooyoung had to admit that Yunho was one of the greatest dancers that he had ever seen and he looked up to him a lot.

Once Yunho's performance was over, he bowed for the audience and people gave their applause. Yunho exited the stage and his teacher took his place to tell everything about the dance classes.

Wooyoung was starting to get bored, and so were everyone else. The teacher was speaking slowly and dragging the whole event longer. Wooyoung sat back in his chair and began searching the audience. After looking for a while, he finally noticed Yeosang who sat a few rows down and to their left.

Just as Yeosang happened to turn back and notice him, San tapped Wooyoung on his shoulder.

'We should go down to see Yunho.' He whispered- more like yelled- to his ear as he waved at Yeosang, trying to make some weird hand signals that even Yeosang didn't understand. Wooyoung began murmuring something about it being a bad idea and all, but San didn't care as he had just managed to make Yeosang understand his plan and the other now nodded.

Wooyoung quickly looked to his left to see their teacher sit there with her eyes closed. She wasn't going to notice it if they left, so why not?

Wooyoung just let out a laugh as his fellow classmates looked at them weirdly as he was dragged down the stairs by San.

Once the two got behind the door at the side of the gym and closed it, they laughed loudly. Wooyoung covered both of their mouths as he feared that someone would hear them, but music suddenly began playing so there was no worry of that happening.

'If i'm gonna get detention then it's your fault, okay?' Yeosang suddenly spoke as he joined the two. He looked serious for a moment before breaking into a smile. This reminded him of the time when the three of them plus Mingi and Yunho escaped from a big exercise event and hid in a bathroom for two hours playing with Yeosang's phone. They were caught and the teachers called Seonghwa, who had only laughed.

'Oh relax.' San assured him. 'We'll be fine.' He brushed the problem away and began snooping around the backstage. When he began opening weird closets, Yeosang grabbed onto his tail and pulled him back with it. San let out a hiss as he was surprised.

'Yah, we don't want to break anything.' Yeosang spoke as San pulled his tail back from Yeosang and held onto it carefully, petting it. 'We came here just to see Yunho. Then we'll leave.'

'You're no fun.' San pouted before smacking Yeosang with his tail. Yeosang spat out as some of San's hair caught onto his lips. Wooyoung laughed as San smirked, before moving back towards the stage. Yeosang rolled his eyes before he followed the other, pulling Wooyoung with him.

They could hear the music that was blasting on the stage, and how people cheered loudly as someone was performing. They could also hear some people talk somewhere. Wooyoung peeked around the corner and saw a bunch of people sit behind the stage waiting for their own turn. Wooyoung also saw Yunho, who was sitting down on a chair while drinking water.

Wooyoung whispered to Yeosang and San that he found him, and all three of them turned to peek around the same corner. As Yunho wouldn't notice them, San began quietly calling for him multiple times, but finally raising his voice as he wouldn't notice them.

Instead of getting Yunho’s attention, Mingi noticed them instead. He was also backstage as he was a part of the acting club- for now at least. He was doing so badly with grades like english and math that he needed all the extra credit that he could get. So acting he shall do. 

'What are you guys doing in here?' He asked after he managed to pull away his siblings and after they were somewhere more quiet. Before any of the three could answer, Yunho popped out from beneath the curtain and laughed at the four loudly. He asked the exact same question.

'It was boring as heck after your performance.' San spoke, others agreeing with him.

'Well, what can i say. I am the best after all.' Yunho joked and Yeosang rolled his eyes.

'Isn't July gonna perform?' Wooyoung then asked, making Yunho get more serious. Wooyoung looked behind him to look at all the other dancers and didn't notice Yunho's longtime childhood friend.

'How would I know.' Yunho murmured and crossed his arms, pouting. Yeosang, San and Wooyoung all looked at each other for answers. Mingi looked more understanding- and he probably did know something that the other's didn’t as the twins had a special bond and spoke about very important things only with each other.

'Uh, well, aren't you in the same class? Wouldn't you be able to tell if she's here or not?' Yeosang then spoke. Yunho let his arms fall and he let out a long dragged out whine.

'I guess i should be able to tell, but apparently not. Because she's with the exchange student fairy kid from Thailand all the time these days.' He murmured childishly. Yunho really liked to pretend to be all grown up all the time, but you could see how young he really was when he got upset.

'Are you, perhaps jealous? Yunho hyung?' San then asked, smirking with his tail swinging back and forth quickly behind him. It did that whenever he was being sneaky or a bit mean. He knew that asking Yunho would make him flustered. And it did, as Yunho blushed hard suddenly.

'Me? No! Not at all, why would you think that- that's stupid!' Yunho rambled, his cheeks turning even more red and his words becoming mush.

'Oh, no reason.' San smirked and watched as Yunho broke down slowly in front of them.

He sighed deeply and hung his head between his shoulders. 'Okay. Maybe a little.'

Wooyoung placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to cheer him up. 'That's okay. It's okay to be jealous sometimes, i think.' Wooyoung spoke, unsure of what to say as he had no experience in the subject. Yunho noticed that too, as he snorted a laugh at his younger brother's words.

'Thanks, i guess.' Yunho said, still seeming down.

'Hyung.' San then spoke, wanting to cheer him up. 'It's okay to be in the friend zone, you know. You still get to spend time with July, and be her friend.' He spoke, unclear of the fact that four pairs of eyes were staring at him like lasers.

'Well, unless she gets together with the Thai kid... That could make things a bit more difficult and maybe even awkward- hey, why do you all look like that?'  
Mingi let out a sound of frustration as Yunho looked like he was about to break into tears pretty soon. Wooyoung was just mostly confused, and wondered why San knew all these new words he had never even heard of. Even he wasn’t sure what “friend zone” meant.

'Well come on, that was kinda predictable because of the whole glass kitten thing you got for her. And that was like, what, four years ago? You had enough time to-' San get on rambling and mumbling until Yeosang managed to interrupt him by yelling his name.

The two began to fight as Yunho kinda just gave up. He sighed as Wooyoung rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. It was kinda working out, until Wooyoung had to go ahead and ruin it.

'Yunho hyung, what's a friend zone?'

*

'You're so gross, do you have to?' Seonghwa groaned as Hongjoong hugged his side tighter. Seonghwa tried to escape from his grip by squirming, but failed due to Hongjoong's tight grip.

'Don't complain, you love me.' Hongjoong spoke, smiling as he heard Seonghwa sigh.

Hongjoong had always been the one to ask for hugs and the one to want snuggles all the time. He was just a big baby, basically. Seonghwa sometimes wished that the other would just leave him alone for a moment and hug a pillow or something instead, but he would never say that out loud.

Seonghwa has been keeping up with the others hug-needs for the past twenty years, and wouldn't be starting to push him away now. Sometimes Seonghwa thinks what the media or Hongjoong's workers would be thinking if they saw him like this. Dressed in his pajamas, whining and begging for attention from his annoyed husband.

Huh, the word husband still felt weird to think about to Seonghwa.

'I guess i have no other choice.' Seonghwa sighed and gave up on trying to escape, melting in Hongjoong's arms. 'And the divorce process would take too long, and we both know that we are too lazy for that.' Seonghwa joked dryly and received a hit to his side from Hongjoong.

'Don't joke about that.' Hongjoong murmured and yawned widely after.

The memory of Wooyoung once fearing that they would break up came back to both of them. Wooyoung had heard about divorce from a schoolmate for the first time, and he saw Seonghwa and Hongjoong play fight once and burst into tears immediately. Hongjoong and Seonghwa had to explain to him that they weren't actually fighting, and that Seonghwa just really liked to make fun of the way Hongjoong dressed and Hongjoong had the permission to make fun of Seonghwa's weird laugh. Wooyoung didn't really understand it, but neither did the two of them.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong have hardly ever fought. And as people liked to say that the secret to having a healthy relationship was behind fighting every now and then- it seemed a bit weird to the two that they never had a big fight. The only ones that they could think about was the one when Hongjoong first found out about Seonghwa's race and that time Seonghwa thought Hongjoong was cheating on him when he was a bit crazy from the pregnancy hormones when expecting Yeosang. There really weren't any other ones that they could think of, and it was weirding out a lot of people.

But then the two liked to shit on each other all the time by bullying each other like there was no tomorrow.

Others thought it was weird and maybe even a bit concerning, but not to them. Maybe that was the secret with their happy relationship. Being able to recognize the things that annoyed them a little about the other, and bringing them up with a humorous way. This way the other person could change their ways in order to not annoy the other, or in most cases- do it more often so that they were even more annoyed. Hongjoong really liked that option.

'Isn't it crazy how long we have known each other.' Hongjoong spoke, on the edge of falling asleep. His eyes were half open as he looked at the ceiling, Seonghwa watching him with sleepy eyes.

Seonghwa hummed and hugged his pillow tighter, moving his legs so that they were on top of Hongjoong own ones. He knew the drill when it came to Hongjoong's late night rambles, which was to take a comfortable position.

'We have been together for... what- like twenty years.' Hongjoong smiled. 'That's a long time, really.' He spoke in an awe and Seonghwa laughed at that.

'Yeah, we're really old. No need to remind about that.' Seonghwa murmured and Hongjoong turned to look at him. The two started at each other for a moment in silence. Seonghwa moved his leg against Hongjoong's, urging him to say something as he could see that he needed to say something. He always had this look in his eyes when he had something in his mind.

'What?' Seonghwa then spoke as Hongjoong stayed quiet in the poorly lit bedroom.

'Ever think where we would be if we hadn't met in that old elevator all those years ago?' Seonghwa smiled slightly at the question. Only Hongjoong would think about something like this in the middle of the night, when they really should be sleeping instead.

'I would be still working for my dad, probably.' Hongjoong spoke as he now moved closer to Seonghwa. 'I most likely would hate my job and my dad who was still an asshole back then.' He spoke quietly.

'I would have never started composing and writing, or started my own company.' Hongjoong kept on speaking, his hands grabbing onto the covers on the bed anxiously. His mind was obviously running ahead, leaving Hongjoong trying to catch it.

'I would have never got to marry you.' He swallowed deeply. 'I wouldn't have become a father for our children either.' He added soon after. 'It's scary to think about that.'

Seonghwa stayed quiet for a moment, looking at the other fondly. His lips curved into a small smile. Hongjoong blinked as Seonghwa quickly managed to crawl over his frame and capture his face between his hands. It was dark, but Hongjoong could see the small smile dancing on his lips, and it made his heart flutter suddenly.

'You're an idiot, I hope you know that.' Seonghwa finally spoke, lips only a few centimetres away from Hongjoong's. 'But you're the idiot that i married and fell in love with in that small elevator all those years ago.' Seonghwa murmured before connecting their lips into a slow kiss. Hongjoong's hands followed Seonghwa and did the same, by holding his face gently as he deepened the kiss.

Hongjoong was a natural worrier. No matter who he spoke to- doctors and psychiatrists- he could not get rid of his worrying thoughts. The only way to get over them was to talk about them, and you couldn't really call your local doctor to talk about the fact that the sun is getting closer to the earth or how some other odd thing that he managed to think about.

Sometimes those kinds of things were Hongjoong's worries. He worried about politics, religion and the future. There were the few times when he spoke about death in such a way that made even Seonghwa question some things.

Hongjoong worried about his work a lot. He had a few incidents where his face would pop up in magazines over some odd article that was false and that happened to every 'celebrity' but it was weird for him. His mind liked to over think, and make himself feel scared of many things. He lost many hours of sleep because of those thoughts. Seonghwa didn't mind sharing some of those hours with him at all.

The future. It is a big, unknown and scary thing. Seonghwa knows that himself as well, but he is more of the do-what-you-gotta-do type. He rarely stops to think about what he does and what the consequences of those actions are. Hongjoong is the complete opposite. But that's what makes them work so good together.

Seonghwa sometimes needs that voice of worry in his ear, to really make him think over some things. He would have made some really stupid decisions in his life if it wasn't for Hongjoong.

Hongjoong on the other hand had learned to worry a bit less. He used to have an hour exact schedule on what things to do and when to do them. He learned to let go of that after meeting Seonghwa. Seonghwa didn't like to play by the rules. He was the type to forget about the fact that they both had work tomorrow and drag Hongjoong to the movies at 2 am. Hongjoong learned to let go, and live a bit more.

Hongjoong likes to think low of himself a lot. He has low self esteem and thinks that he is just regular and that there is nothing special about him. Seonghwa sees so much more and Hongjoong likes to call him a liar when he tries to make him see those things as well.

If it hadn't been for Hongjoong, Seonghwa would be living quite a shitty life as well.

Hongjoong was the one to make him go back to school, and that had been one of the best things that Seonghwa ever did. And it was all thanks to Hongjoong.  
If one of the best things that Seonghwa ever did was going back to school, then the best thing ever has got to be the decision to marry Hongjoong and start a family together.

Hongjoong was terrified of becoming a father. He was so worried about it, and Seonghwa's first pregnancy was probably the time when he stayed up the most. He was nervous, anxious and just scared. All those hours of worrying turned out to be for nothing, as Hongjoong became the greatest father a kid could ever wish for. Seonghwa got lucky.

He was kinda the good guy in situations. Seonghwa had to be the bad guy, obviously, when it came to teaching the kids.

In the end it didn't matter who took what role, because as long as they were together- they were the best parents that their kids could ever get. Sometimes things got rough and hard, but they got over it together, as a couple and as a family.

Hongjoong has a weak heart for everything cute and tiny, which amused Seonghwa a lot as the other was probably the cutest thing he has ever seen. Sure, their kids are cute and all, but Seonghwa likes to blame that on the fact that they resemble Hongjoong in some way that makes them like that.

Hongjoong is just as handsome today as he was back then when Seonghwa firstly looked at him and thought; god Seonghwa, don't go around having crushes on humans. He knew it would only cause harm, but for some reason he just couldn't help but fall in deeper. When Hongjoong showed up a few months later at his old cafe workplace, he was so relieved. He had known that he would regret it his whole life if he hadn't seen Hongjoong again.

Hongjoong is understanding. He understood and accepted Seonghwa as the way he was, as a non human like himself. Hongjoong understood that they were different and decided not to let that bother him.

Hongjoong is patient and kind. He took the time to learn more about Seonghwa as a werewolf and as a person. He was interested in him and wanted to learn more about him, and that really made Seonghwa fall in love with him.

Seonghwa's love for the other just grew and grew during the years before their marriage. Hongjoong understood all the odd and new things that came with being together with Seonghwa, who was someone from a whole different race and world. It was a big deal for him to learn all these things about him and his kind, but he did it without any complaints.

He accepted Seonghwa's odd family and their own ways of dealing with things. He didn't mind Seonghwa having his heats or his midnight nest building moments. He was there through every single one of them, even if he didn't need to.

Seonghwa had that same realization that many other couples have at some point during their relationship. The realization of, holy shit we are in an actual working relationship that has been going strong for quite a while now, hit him when he and Hongjoong began looking for a house together. That wasn't too big of a step, but knowing the fact that the house would be having many rooms and bathrooms was a bit scary as it meant that someone would need to live in those rooms.

Seonghwa realized that he loved Hongjoong, and that they had been living together for quite a while. He was so happy that it was weird. He had never been this happy in his whole life, and especially in any other relationship.

He had dated a few men and women before Hongjoong, and he had felt nothing like this with any of them. The thought of spending the rest of his life with those people never even crossed his mind. Hell, even the thought of ever getting marked by one or marrying one of them had never been an option to him. So it was odd that he said yes when Hongjoong asked.

Maybe he had just gone mad. Maybe he was blinded by the gentle words and Hongjoong's eyes when he asked the big question for the hundredth time. The thought of marriage and the word 'forever' had always scared him a bit. But, it didn't sound too bad when he thought about spending his own forever with Hongjoong.

So, truthfully speaking- Seonghwa too fears the future. He at least used to a lot.

He questioned himself a lot, asking himself is this truly going to last? Is he really going to feel the same way about Hongjoong and their relationship after a few years? Would it be just foolish to get married and have a few kids, and then just divorce like every other married couple out there? Maybe Seonghwa was just blinded by the thought of being married to Hongjoong, as all those thoughts had suddenly disappeared from his head.

But goddamn, would he regret saying no if he ever knew he had been missing all of this.

The horribly awkward wedding that was mostly spent inside Hongjoong's car, while they ate junk-food. Or the many family gatherings spent listening to others complain and fight.

All the hours spent together building their own careers and their shared home. All those hours getting ready to start a family together.

Seonghwa sometimes thinks what life would have been like without meeting Hongjoong. But it makes him too sad, so he tries not to.

That night, when holding onto Hongjoong a little bit tighter than other nights, Seonghwa recommended that he wouldn't think about it either. Instead he should think about the time they accidentally broke a whole set of plates in Seonghwa's old apartment. Or the time when Seonghwa brought him pizza in the middle of the night when he was sick.

He should think about the time when they found out that they were pregnant for the first time, after trying for over a year. He should think about the moment when Yeosang cried for the first time in Seonghwa's arms when he was born.

Instead of worrying about future bills and company problems before going to sleep, Hongjoong should remember the time when Seonghwa blurted out that he wanted a second baby. One year later Yunho and Mingi sat in Hongjoong's arms. Their two-for-one special boys. 

Hongjoong should place the memory of staying awake with Seonghwa and two babies- San and Wooyoung- in the middle of the night while the twins struggled to sleep, and remove the old memories of being sad in school. And he really should think of the time when he got to name Jongho, and became a father of the six beautiful kids he knows today.

Seonghwa will remind him about the amazing memories that they created together for as long as it will take. And Hongjoong will do the same, when Seonghwa feels himself slip into thinking about something dark.

And those times will come for the both of them, no doubt. Worries will always be something that will be in their minds, as they are in everyone's. But they need to make sure that the worries about the future will never overgrow the beautiful memories of the past that they shared together.

Together, they should learn that the future isn't only something scary and worrisome. They should remember the fact that the future could be exiting and full of amazing things.

Their children will grow up and move on to pursue their own careers and dreams. And both Hongjoong and Seonghwa wouldn't want to miss that for anything.

*

Yeosang could feel his heartbeat harshly against his chest. His ears were ringing from his own rapid pulse and the loud sound of the horn in the air.  
He took a quick hard breath after another and wiped away the sweat that was threatening to fall over his brows and into his eyes. He glanced over to the side, looking for a teammate close to him, who he passed the ball onto quickly.

The pass was successful and the crowd screamed as Yeosang began moving. He ignored the way his throat and lungs felt like they were on fire and every breath hurt like hell, and continued to move his sore legs one step at a time as he began running across the court.

Every noise around him had formed together into one, sounding like nonsense as he tired to listen for his teammates. People were screaming, and the players' shoes were squeaking loudly against the floor, and Yeosang had a hard time picturing what was going on around him. He could only see in front him, and had no idea what was happening behind him. Somehow he still managed to turn around at the right moment and catch the ball that was flying across the court towards him.

He pushed away the feeling of fear that almost crept up to him as he saw everyone in the other team run towards him quickly. It was a moment like this, when the much bigger kids ran towards him with such strength that could knock him down easily, Yeosang really wished that he was taller.

He tried not to look like a deer caught in the headlights as the opposite team ran closer and closer to him, and threw the ball instead.

Just as someone collided with Yeosang hard, the bell rang. The reason why, Yeosang didn't know. As everything suddenly turned black before his eyes, after he hit the floor underneath his feet.

'Yeosang! Remember to get your shoes from the laundry room.' Seonghwa yelled from downstairs, while loading the groceries onto the table. Mingi next to him then took them and began placing them into the fridge and the cabinets.

'Got it!' Yeosang answered, yelling towards the door of his room while removing his school uniform. He groaned as he sat down onto the floor to pull on his long socks, throwing them into the bin on the corner of the room.

'Nervous?' Yeosang heard someone ask and turned to look who had dared to disturb him. Usually he would be mad if someone came into the room to find him almost naked, but for some reason he wasn't that mad at Wooyoung. Perhaps because he was nervous. But he would never say that out loud.

'No.' Yeosang spoke and opened his closet, looking for his basketball clothes.

Wooyoung hummed and leaned against the door frame, his head tilted as he stayed there. Yeosang would have told him to get out and stop looking at him, but he knew that he needed to hurry because he didn't have much time left until they needed to leave.

In an hour, Yeosang's team would be playing in the under-eighteen games, against the team from another school. They were the two finalists from the whole country, and today they would hopefully find a winner.

Yeosang was a bit nervous, but not too much. He was more excited to be honest. His team had never made it this far in any serious game, and everyone was very excited and happy. Yeosang's coach was almost crying when he saw him during their last practice, so this was a big thing to many people.

Including the Kim household.

Hongjoong had told everyone in his whole company, and they were all rooting for Yeosang's teams victory. He made sure that his own parents would make it to the game and that they would support Yeosang. He tried not to show his own excitement too much, but Yeosang could clearly see it whenever he spoke about the big game. Seonghwa was kinda the same, except that he knew nothing of the sport so he couldn't really get too excited about it. But he knew that Yeosang liked the sport and that winning would be cool, so he knew the most important parts. He has also been making sure that Yeosang has been resting well and eating all the right things before the games. He has made sure that Yeosang has clean practice clothes always ready and that everything is ready to go. It might not be a lot in his eyes, but Yeosang appreciates it a lot.

If Hongjoong was a big fan of Yeosang, then Wooyoung and San have to take the place of being his number one fans.

The two have prepared a whole cheer for him that they sing way too often, even when he is just taking a shower or trying to study. They even made shirts that spell out his name. That was awesome in some way, but mostly just kinda embarrassing. But Yeosang could get over the embarrassment, as he liked seeing his brothers so happy over something that he was doing.

Yunho and Mingi didn't care too much. They were just happy that they got their shared computer more to themselves as Yeosang spent so much time practicing playing. If anything, they were sad now that the games would end and Yeosang would spend more time at home, and on the computer. Maybe Yeosang should get a new computer with the winning money- if his team did manage to win somehow.

He wasn't too confident in winning, to be honest. He knew the team that they would be playing against as he had played against them before some other time. Sure, their team probably had a lot of people replaced and such, but he still remembers the one player who almost won the whole game for them. But just almost, as Yeosang has never lost a game before.

'Beomgyu's big brother is going to be on the other team...' Jongho murmured as he watched Yeosang put on his basketball shoes.

'What?' Yeosang spoke as he looked up from his shoes and looked at Jongho who stood next to him.

'The bully from my class. His big brother who called you weird.' Jongho repeated himself, making sure that Yeosang understood what he meant.

'Oh.' Yeosang managed to say as he finally understood who Jongho was talking about.

Yeonjun, who Yeosang met two years ago on the same court as today. The same Yeonjun who lost a game to Yeosang, and could not get over it. Yeonjun was a year older than Yeosang, but that alpha happened to act so childishly when they lost that it was amusing.

He did actually put up a good fight, but Yeosang's team managed to beat them in the end and they moved up to the next stage instead of them. He didn't take it well at all and began acting like a big baby about it. Yeosang remembers letting out a laugh after hearing him bitch about the ending score to the ref. Yeonjun heard this and immediately turned to look at him.

'What's so funny, omega?' He spoke and took a step closer. Yeosang, who was a lot shorter than him, just crossed his arms and stared back. The other players just stood and stared, wanting to find out what was going to happen between the two.

Yeosang could suddenly sense the fact that he was the only omega in the whole big hall, and it was a bit intimidating. There were a few werewolves, a couple vampires and different hybrids but mostly humans. And no one dared to come in between this.

'Did you get scared because i'm an alpha, and can't speak?' Yeonjun spoke as he was now a step away from Yeosang.

Yeosang, then aged 13, had been an omega only for around a year. He was still pretty new to the whole thing with roles and their meanings, but he did know one thing. No omega ever should need to hear an alpha talk shit like that and just stay silent. Seonghwa taught him better.

'No, i was actually just left quite wordless by the way you were acting like a bitch.' Yeosang spoke, completely ignoring the fact that he was older than him and he should have used formalities when speaking with him.

People around him gasped and some laughed at his comeback. Yeosang too looked quite happy with his response as Yeonjun was now left wordless instead. His face had turned red, and his mouth hung open out of surprise.

Yeosang knew that he should have left it at that, but he really wanted to mess with the other more now that he got to start. He was mad that he was called out for his role in front of all his teammates and he wanted to teach Yeonjun a lesson, so that he would never do it again.

'Did you perhaps get scared because i'm an omega, and can't speak?' Yeosang smirked as he copied his words and looked up at the other. He and others waited for a response, but there never was one. Yeonjun took off running, face red and embarrassed. He left the hall and Yeosang didn't see him again, and honestly didn't expect to ever again. But today, after two years, he will see him again.

Jongho sat next to Yeosang in the backseat of the van. He played with the long string of Yeosang's basketball shorts as the two waited for everyone else to get ready. Seonghwa packed everything that they needed into the back of the van, and made San and Wooyoung get into the middle seats. Yunho and Mingi would go with Hongjoong in his car, to go and pick up their grandparents. Seonghwa made sure that everyone put on their seat belts and started the old van. They still never got a new one as Seonghwa didn't want to learn how to drive a newer car.

Yeosang turned the music on his earphones off, as Jongho tapped his shoulder. He usually wanted to listen to music before a match, as it helped him calm down, but he didn't mind talking with Jongho.

'You have to promise to be careful.' Jongho spoke after Yeosang asked what he had in his mind. 'Beomgyu said that his brother is very strong and could beat you easily... And not only in the game but in real life as well.' Jongho murmured quietly and Yeosang couldn't help but smile. It was cute that he was looking out for his older brother like that, even though he didn't know the situation very well.

'I promise.' Yeosang simply said, not wanting to explain the whole situation to Jongho. He would be alright. Yeonjun might be bigger and stronger than him, but he was only that. Yeosang had more experience and was smarter, so he had the upper hand in today's game. And he knew that he would be safe from him even after the game, as the other couldn't harm him without getting into trouble. He would probably get fired from the team if he harmed Yeosang in any way by purpose.

'Beomgyu said some pretty mean things about you today in class as well.' Jongho then spoke, voice quiet enough that Seonghwa wouldn't be able to hear them. 'He keeps bringing up roles all the time and I don't understand it...' Jongho added and Yeosang felt his annoyance beginning to build up. He didn't like it that Jongho was learning about roles at such a young age, and in such a way. Seonghwa wouldn’t like it either and that’s why Jongho was whispering.

'Don't worry about it.' He then said. 'It's nothing serious, and it isn't something that you need to think about. Roles aren't that important, so it doesn't matter what other people say about us. All you need to know about omegas are the things you hear from me, Dad and Wooyoung, Okay?' Jongho stayed still for a moment, before finally nodding his head.

'I still don't get why it makes you weird though.' Jongho murmured.

Yeosang looked to his right, and saw the school from the window. 'Neither do i.' He sighed.

'They are here.' Yeosang's teammate spoke while their coach was giving them his speech. Some of them heard the other team being mentioned and turned to look at the direction where one of them pointed.

And would you look at that, Yeonjun was right there first in the line as they walked towards them, with their coach leading the way. It took a moment before Yeonjun noticed Yeosang, but when he did- he smirked at him before walking past him and Yeosang's team. Yeosang couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Yeonjun looked just like he did before. Except that he was tall as heck now, which seemed impossible as he was really tall already before. Yeosang was kinda salty about it, as he seemed even shorter when standing near him. Yeosang really wanted to curse out for the fact that he was the shortest player in the whole game.

The opponent team stood near Yeosang's. They were in a ring, and listened to their coach give them advice. Yeosang noticed how Yeonjun glanced towards him every now and then. He had this annoying grin on his lips that Yeosang couldn't wait to wipe away once they got to the court and begin the game. Yeosang would make him eat the floor during the whole game, and he would laugh while doing so.

So instead of being nervous, Yeosang was actually very happy when the horn rang and the teams moved into the court.

Yeosang should have known that his luck wanted to play with him today. Just the fact that Yeonjun had to be on the other team was bad enough, but the fact that the two of them were chosen to start the game in the middle was just kinda mean. Yeosang also wanted to show everyone in the crowd that he could beat the alpha, but doing so right from the start was kinda nerve-wracking. But Yeosang took the challenge and walked forward.

Yeosang could hear San and Wooyoung scream loudly along with others in the crowd as he took a step closer to the middle, taking his position and getting ready to jump up to get the ball before Yeonjun. Yeonjun stood comfortable, not seeming to care too much. Yeosang couldn't wait to make him nervous once he realized that he would not go down easily.

The ref made sure that they stood correct, and lifted his other hand that was holding onto the ball. His other hand brought the whistle up to his lips and held it there.

'Good luck, omega.' Yeonjun spoke as he looked at Yeosang, seconds before the whistle would be heard and the game began.

Yeosang stayed quiet and kept his eyes on the ball. Sure enough, a moment after the ref blew the whistle and the game began.

Before Yeonjun could even move, Yeosang had already jumped after the ball that had been thrown into the air and managed to push it towards his own team. Yeonjun reacted to this too late and was left standing there momentarily.

'Keep that luck to yourself, alpha.' Yeosang spoke as he began to run.

*

'You broke your arm for god's sake Yeosang!' Seonghwa spoke hurriedly as he fussed around Yeosang who was sitting at the back of the ambulance. He had a quickly made cast around his arm for now, and he would get a better one once he would get to the hospital.

'And a concussion, but that didn't stop him from winning the game though, did it?' Hongjoong added and was quick to apologize because of the way Seonghwa glared at him. The two began complaining at each other, Seonghwa saying that Yeosang should have been more careful and Hongjoong saying that things like this happen all the time in basketball.

'Maybe he should have just picked knitting class instead and never started basketball?' San spoke as he sat on a rock near the ambulance, Wooyoung next to him. Both of them looked a bit funny as they had face paint all over them that was kinda messed up by now. Yeosang laughed at his joke but stopped as the movement hurt his arm slightly that was wrapped tightly around his chest.

'San, don't joke about that. It's not funny.' Seonghwa warned the other and sent a strong glare towards him. San just rolled his eyes and turned around on his rock, looking back at the hall behind them.

People were still moving out of the hall and the audience. Yeosang's coach and teammates had came to see him a moment ago after he came back to life. Yeosang had blacked out after hitting the floor from the push by another team’s member. The hit had caused his arm to break and it caused a pretty bad concussion as well. But that didn't matter, as Yeosang got to hear that his team had won. And all thanks to his last throw.

'You were so cool!' Jongho spoke excitedly next to Yeosang as everyone else were currently too busy complaining about something. Mingi was still drying his tears as he cried when seeing Yeosang in such pain. And Yunho was nowhere to be seen as he abandoned them all after he found July at some point and left somewhere. He would get to hear about that from Seonghwa when they got back home.

'Thanks.' Yeosang smiled at the other and reached to mess with his hair with his other hand. Jongho probably felt bad for him in some way as he didn't even complain at the familiar gesture and just laughed it off.

'Too bad that your hand got hurt.' He quickly added though. 'Does it hurt a lot?'

'No, not at all.' Yeosang spoke, not wanting Jongho to feel bad for him. In fact his hand did hurt a little, but not a lot. Maybe because of the adrenaline that was still running through his veins or the meds that the paramedics gave him. Probably both.

'It looked like it hurt a lot.' Jongho grinned. 'You fell to the floor kinda hard.'

'Did it look embarrassing?' Yeosang asked, a smile on his lips.

'No, kinda cool actually. And it was even cooler because you threw the last points before that fall.' Jongho spoke, excitedly. Yeosang smiled, because of relief.

‘That's good.’ Yeosang smiled, seeing the other nod his head.

When he came back to the living, he was really worried to hear about what had happened after his fall. He feared that they had just simply lost and he just somehow also managed to fall unconscious. He was relieved to hear that he didn't break his arm for nothing. But there was still one thing bothering him.

'Did you happen to see who it was that knocked me down?' Yeosang asked Jongho, who had turned his attention to the golden medal that he was holding in his hands. Yeosang didn't remember giving it to Jongho, nor does he actually even remember getting it even in the first place. His coach must have brought it while visiting him and he didn't remember it. But Jongho looked good with it, so it was okay.

'It was some new player. He broke the rules somehow as well.' Jongho murmured while looking at the shiny medal.

Yeosang hummed. Secretly happy that it hadn't been Yeonjun who collided against him. That would have been really embarrassing to remember and talk about.

'Yeonjun said that he was gonna be removed from the team, so at least he got some kind of a punishment out of it.' Jongho spoke. Yeosang nodded his head and turned his attention to the machines inside the ambulance. But wait-

'What?' Yeosang spoke, turning his head back towards Jongho. 'Yeonjun said that? Was he here?'

Jongho innocently nodded his head. 'Yeah, he came to see how you were doing, but left because you were still unconscious.' Yeosang blinked a few times before letting out a laugh.

'How kind of him.' He said sarcastically.

'Yeah, i think so too!' Jongho smiled and Yeosang looked at him weirdly for a moment. 'What?' Jongho then asked, but Yeosang just shook his head. Jongho looked back at him for a moment before his eyes lit up.

'I'll go get him.' He then spoke, placing Yeosang's medal next to him and stepping down from the ambulance.

'No, Jongho!' Yeosang managed to scream after him, but Jongho didn't even look back at him but continued his way back to the hall. Yeosang covered his face momentarily with his non-injured hand and prayed that the paramedics were done talking with each other and Seonghwa and Hongjoong, so that they could quickly take him away from here. He did not want to see Yeonjun like this. He needed to be up and walking, and far away from Seonghwa and Hongjoong so that he could confidently talk shit about him like he used to do. He could not be sitting here in a hospital bed, in the back of an ambulance while his parents watch over him.  
His luck really must have hated him today, as his wishes for the paramedics arriving quicker didn't happen. Soon he saw Jongho run back, Yeonjun walking behind him. Yeosang cursed under his breath as he mentally prepared himself.

'What's he doing here?' San asked as he too now noticed who was accompanying Jongho. Wooyoung now too turned to look at who he was talking about, and was surprised to see the 'mean big brother' who Jongho had told a lot of things about.

'I, uh came to apologize.' Yeonjun spoke while scratching the back of his neck. He avoided eye contact and looked at the ground instead. Yeosang nodded his head, trying to gain confidence from the fact that Yeonjun was lacking it.

'Go ahead.' Mingi then spoke, getting Yeonjun to finally look at Yeosang. He looked totally different from that cocky and smirking Yeonjun that Yeosang saw just before the game. He was totally stomped down by the loss and you could see it clearly. Yeosang almost felt bad in some odd way.

'I'm sorry for thinking so low of you.' He then began, looking a bit shy as there were a few people looking at him. Mingi, Jongho, Wooyoung and San staring at him with eyes as sharp as lasers.

'I should have known better not to bring up our roles onto the court, as they clearly didn't matter. You proved that quite good.' He added the last part with a murmur.

'I'm also sorry for what happened to your arm.' He said while pointing at Yeosang's cast. 'The guy who did it was removed from the team, for breaking the rules. Just so you know.' He spoke, and Yeosang nodded his head.

There was a pause. Yeosang could hear Wooyoung speak to San something about wanting to hit Yeonjun for what he said about omegas. And if you'd had asked Yeosang something similar a few minutes before this apology, he would have probably done the same. But not now.

'I accept your apology.' Yeosang then finally spoke, making Wooyoung say something under his own breath. He didn't hear what it was but San did, as he smacked the back of his head loudly.

'But only one one condition.' Yeosang then quickly added. Yeonjun looked back at him silently, waiting to hear what it was that Yeosang wanted from him.

'You will make sure that your little brother knows more about roles, and in a new light so that Jongho- or anyone else- ever has to hear the things that he had learned from you before.' Yeosang spoke, making his ways very simple and clear. 'Got it?'

It took a moment, but Yeonjun nodded his head in the end. 'I will.' He said and relaxed in his spot. 'I'll make sure that he learns better. I need to do some learning as well.' He spoke, before leaving.

Yeosang was able to let out the breath that he had been holding in for all this time. He was honestly so uncomfortable and nervous after Jongho said that he would go get Yeonjun. He was just happy that it was over.

Wooyoung voiced out his wish again that he really should have at least kicked Yeonjun's shin or something. It seemed wrong to him that he got to leave with just a promise. And Yeosang understood why, as Wooyoung heard all the things that Yeonjun and Beomgyu had said about omegas, and it of course hurt him a lot. But Wooyoung also needed to know that not all fights can be ended by force. Sometimes you needed to use words as well to really come to an agreement.

Yeosang was honestly just so tired of this whole day that he would do anything to make it end. He was so relieved when he finally got to go to the hospital for the check up and to get the cast on his arm. He then wanted to go back home and sleep for a few days. As in his sleep he didn't need to think about things like bullying and roles and all that other stressing stuff. He hoped that Yeonjun really took his words to heart and made sure to keep his promise, as Yeosang never wanted to hear Jongho come home from school sad because of his little brother. Beomgyu really needed to learn more about roles and how little they actually matter. So did Yeonjun.

Luckily, Yeonjun did keep his promise.

Jongho came home the next week once school started, truly happy for the first time in a long time. Yeosang was excited to hear why, and was surprised to hear that he had received an apology from Beomgyu. Yeonjun had made him apologize for all the things that he had said, and even though the apology wasn't completely genuine- it was okay, as it was enough for Jongho.

And it was enough for Yeosang as well, now that Jongho would get to be in school without all the stress caused by the talk of roles. Jongho didn't need to think about them yet. And he especially didn't need to hear all these bad things about the different roles.

It honestly didn't matter at all what role you got. No matter if you were an alpha, beta, omega or even a human. It didn't matter in the end, not at least anymore. The role that you got in the end doesn't define you as a person in any way. It doesn't stop you from becoming something that you want to be or would like to have.  
There are people out there who keep proving all those generic expectations wrong all the time. Yeosang being just one of them.

Yeah sure, omegas back in the day didn't do sports or anything that had to do with power and strength. They didn't usually even work and just stayed home, or at the nest. But that was a long time ago, and times changed. So omegas needed to change as well.

Seonghwa always wanted their kids to know that roles were just something small, and that it didn't matter what they got in the end. Because it wasn't the role that defined their future and dreams, but they themselves. All you needed to succeed in life was determination and people around you who would support you no matter what, and all of the Kim kids happen to have this.

They would do great, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong were sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhhhh i'm sorry for slow updates, i'm trying to get these out as fast as i can... the next one is the final one to the whole series, i hope yall have enjoyed this
> 
> twitter @NE0_ClTY


	5. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is too short to wake up with regrets  
> Cherish the good times, the people you met  
> The lessons they taught you  
> The things you have seen  
> Relish the memories  
> The places you've been
> 
> Think of the laughter  
> Think of the sun  
> Bask in the warmth of things you have done
> 
> Your life and your choices  
> The decisions you made  
> Find joy each one  
> And smile as they are replayed
> 
> Regrets, by Ms Moem

‘Yes, I did clean the bedroom. Please stop asking already.' San whined as Seonghwa asked him the same question for the tenth time that day. He knew that Seonghwa just wanted everything to be perfect for the day, but he also would appreciate it if Seonghwa believed him when he was telling him the truth. As he did in fact clean his and Wooyoung's room already, and it only took Seonghwa three times to tell him to do so before he actually did it. So he can stop asking by now.

'Alright, alright.' Seonghwa murmured as he made sure that San was wearing his shirt nicely. San made a face as Seonghwa made sure his collar was looking good and that his hair was brushed tangle free. That wasn't the 'gross' part, but the fact that Seonghwa kissed the tip of his nose at the end was kinda too much.

'Come on Dad.' San murmured and pushed Seonghwa's hands off of him that were trying to make him take off his necklace. 'I'm not a baby anymore. I'm seventeen for god's sake.' He added.

Seonghwa looked at him for a moment before poking San in his stomach. 'Age has nothing to do with that, idiot. You're still my baby.' He just smiled as San rolled his eyes.

Sure, San might be the same height as Seonghwa and weigh around the same weight, but that still didn’t take away the fact that San was just a big baby that still liked to drink out of juice boxes and enjoyed it when Hongjoong or Seonghwa scratched the back of his ears. He might say that it's annoying or dumb, but everyone knows that he is lying.

'Whatever.' San said while crossing his arms.

He did really like Seonghwa and his odd ways of showing affection, but it sometimes got to be a bit too much. Seonghwa did really sometimes baby him and his brothers around a lot, and so did Hongjoong. San thought that maybe the thought of them growing older hadn't hit them quite yet.

But it actually had.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong knew that fact very well, but you sometimes forgot it. You forgot that it hadn't been yesterday when your baby was first born, and now suddenly they are talking and walking. It didn't seem like it had been seventeen years since San joined their family. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong still remember the time when they first looked into adoption and suddenly they were here, seventeen years later, when San is already becoming an legal adult next year.

'It's been a long time, San.' The older-looking lady smiled gently at San as she took a seat across from him. San smiled back to be polite.

'I doubt it that you still remember me, as it has been such a long time since we last met. It has been at least fifteen years, I think.' The lady spoke as she began taking out all these papers from her bag. 'But, I remember you very well! You were such a sweetheart as a baby, so I couldn't forget you.' She spoke, Seonghwa and Hongjoong joining her to talk about what San was like as a kid.

Mikyung, was her name. She was a social worker in her late fifties who’s been working in the orphanage that San spent the few weeks in before getting to his forever home.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong remember her well, but San remembers nothing of her. He had been so little when he was in the orphanage that it was basically impossible that he would be able to remember her. She has visited the Kim house once more, when San was two years old. It was a routine check that happened to all of the kids from that orphanage, but San doesn't remember anything from that either.

San knows very little about his adoption, as there aren't many things left from that time. Today, San will receive all the documents about him from the orphanage, because he will be an adult. He hopes that he will learn a little bit more about himself and where he came from.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong told him all about the long adoption process that they went through to get him. San first asked them to tell it to him when he was around twelve, because his curiosity had started to grow towards his past.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong left their application to the city social workers for adoption a few months after Yunho and Mingi were born. Both of them knew that the process would be long and take a lot of time, so they didn't wait to leave their papers any longer.

It took two years, and the birth of Wooyoung, for them to finally get some kind of an answer. The timing was pretty bad, and even San would think so. But Hongjoong and Seonghwa didn't ever even consider saying no as they were told about a young hybrid lady who needed help.

San was born into the hospital right next to the orphanage, and brought there right away. He spent his first few weeks there, until being able to join Seonghwa and Hongjoong only as a foster child then.

San's move into the Kim house seemed to be quite quick, as it was but a lot happened in those few weeks in order for that to happen. People like Mikyung visited the house daily, checking places and speaking with both Seonghwa and Hongjoong for hours at a time. It was quite tiring with Yeosang and the twins, as well as Wooyoung who was just a few months old at the time. But the thought of getting San got them through it all.

'How have you been San?' Mikyung then asked, after finishing speaking with Seonghwa and Hongjoong. They talked about a lot of things, like how the orphanage has been doing after all these years, how work has been like for Seonghwa and Hongjoong. San noticed himself almost dozing off during it all, as the conversation turned so boring suddenly.

'Oh, fine.' San spoke, quite nervous suddenly. He couldn't help but feel like this was some kind of a serious situation. San had heard all of the horror stories from kids who had been in orphanages and he couldn't help but think about them.

Did Mikyung know about the fact that he has ADD? Does she know of that time he broke his leg by accident? Does she know that he has really bad dyslexia and other things that bother his ability to learn? Can he even mention those things, or will he get in trouble? Or more importantly- will Hongjoong and Seonghwa get into trouble?

Hongjoong could somehow see him having trouble with collecting his thoughts.

'Talk about Taekwondo, that's really cool.' Hongjoong said, making San look at him. He smiled gently as he gestured to San to continue speaking.

San turned back to look at Mikyung who waited patiently. San swallowed twice before opening his mouth.

'Well, uh, I started it a few years ago.' He began, eyes jumping from Mikyung to Seonghwa and Hongjoong. 'I really like it, and it has been a fun thing next to school. It has really helped me focus more and made me spend my free time more smartly.'

'Have you got any big matches coming up that I should keep an eye out for?' Mikyung asked, smiling as San shyly shook his head.

'I did make it to the team, but we haven’t been able to compete in any big matches yet. And I don’t know if i’d be able to compete anyways, since I need extra time to take care of my grades or otherwise I might fail a class or two...’

Only after finishing his sentence did he realize that he just might have mentioned too much about his learning disabilities. Mikyung however just nodded her head and agreed with San, saying that it was indeed hard getting through classes these days. San got to relax again after a moment, but that feeling didn't last for long as school soon popped up in the conversation again.

'Do you have any future plans for college or such yet? I know it might be a bit too soon yet, as you have a few more years of high school left, but you never know.' Mikyung asked, taking a sip of her tea that Hongjoong had just brought to the table. The talk was going on for quite a while, so they decided to take something to drink.

San shook his head and played with his fingers under the table. 'I'm not sure yet. I don't really know what I should do yet.'

Mikyung hummed. 'It's something that will take time, so I wouldn't worry even if you don't know yet.' San nodded his head silently.

San actually has some ideas on what he would like to do, but it was just a matter of whether the schools allowed him to do them.

San hasn't had an assistant or a tutor in school now throughout all of high school. The current school he is in doesn't allow personal assistants and only gives a small amount of tutoring after regular classes. San's grades have been dropping as different assignments just keep on piling up and tests keep on coming. He is barely making it now, and the thought of continuing school after getting through all this doesn't sound too tempting right now. All of his assignments are changed into easier ones and his tests have different questions in them in order to help him manage in school with his classmates but it is still very hard.

'San has some trouble in school sometimes, but he does very good in our eyes.' Seonghwa then spoke. The two of them locked eyes and Seonghwa smiled at him. Seonghwa sometimes made San have a hard time when it came to school, but he knew that Seonghwa was still proud of him.

'He was diagnosed with ADD a couple years ago, so that makes some things for him a bit more difficult.' Seonghwa then said, making San a bit wary of the situation. But it was for nothing, luckily.

'That is understandable.' Mikyung spoke, nodding her head. 'It's a shame that most schools don't offer extra help to students who need it. Without paying extra, of course.' She spoke, talking about San's disability like it wasn't a big deal. Which it wasn't.

It was nice hearing her talk about it like that. She didn't pity San, nor did she begin explaining her own opinions about the whole disorder and what she thought about it. If San had a dollar for every time some teacher or student told him that his disability wasn't a real disability and just told him to focus, he would probably have enough money to go to a better school and pay for better classmates.

Somewhere during the conversation San realized that Mikyung was actually nice. She was a nice lady who laughed a lot and she was actually interested in hearing what San had in his mind and what he had been doing for all of these years after leaving the orphanage.

Mikyung explained to San that she and the orphanage didn't know much about him, as Seonghwa and Hongjoong didn't need to let them know anything about San if they didn't want to. Seonghwa and Hongjoong used to send letters to the orphanage, but forgot about it after a while, which was normal. No parent ever kept sending information about the child to the orphanage until they were an adult, as the staff often changed and the letters sometimes didn't even get opened as it was so busy.

Mikyung also then told San that the only reason she really came was to let him have his documents. All this chatting was just something that she liked to do so that it would be more comfortable, and she liked to know more about the child- especially if she had been there for that child when they were in the orphanage.

San went through a whole phase when he looked at every possible program about adoption and family reunions. He honestly didn't know why he wanted to watch through them so suddenly, but he did.

He then began thinking about his mother. He knew very little of her, as even Seonghwa and Hongjoong couldn't answer his questions that he wanted to ask about her, as they knew just as much as him. Nothing. The only information that was left from her to Seonghwa and Hongjoong was the wish that San would get his current name. The reason behind it was unknown, but Hongjoong and Seonghwa agreed immediately. San was a beautiful name.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong knew nothing more that San wouldn't know. He knew that she was a young hybrid who knew that she couldn't take care of him even before he was born. She contacted the orphanage that Mikyung was working for and things moved on from there.

In a way San feels guilty for wanting to read through the papers and documents. He feels guilty for wanting to know something about his mother and his own past. Why? Because he already has two parents who love him more than anything and would do everything to make him happy. San felt like he was stabbing Seonghwa and Hongjoong in the back.

After everything that they have done for him, he will just go ahead and begin looking into his mother and his own past, even though his current life is just fine? Making it even more hurtful in a way, is that Hongjoong and Seonghwa will be right behind him through the whole process. Because they love him and want him to find answers to his questions.

There was a time when Hongjoong and Seonghwa were afraid of this day, when San got his documents. The two of them would have gotten the permission to read through them when getting San, but decided not to, as it felt wrong.

The thought of carrying something else than just the fact of adoption through San's childhood didn't feel right at the time for the two of them, and they were glad that they didn't look at the documents in the end. They were meant for San, so he should have the permission to be the first one reading them.

Even though the thought of something surprising being there on the paper was scary, they never caved in to ask for the papers before this day.

You never really knew what could be written there. Everything is possible, and that is both exciting and scary at the same time. San knows the fact that the documents could be absolutely empty, except for his own information from the time. Maybe his mother didn't want him to know about anything, and decided to leave things out.

This was something that made San nervous, as he would like to know many things. What would have his life been like if she hadn't made this decision? That, San would like to know- but not to experience. He has everything that he needs right here.

'Do you have anything else that you would like to ask me?' Mikyung asked, holding onto the folder that looked like to be quite full which was kinda surprising.

Mikyung already asked whether San would like her to be there when he reads through documents or if he would like it better to be just with Seonghwa and Hongjoong. In the end they came into the decision that he would like to look through the papers with just Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Mikyung understood that very well, and let San have her number so that he could call her anytime he needed to.

'I don't think so...' San murmured. 'I'll call you if I have something to ask you.' He spoke and Mikyung nodded her head.

'I wish you all everything well, and I hope that you figure out that whole school thing San.' Mikyung spoke as she got ready to leave, wearing winter clothes. He smiled and said her goodbyes, then closing the door behind her.

There was a silence, as the three of them stood in the living room, still next to the front door. It was at some point that San dared to look at the pile of papers left on the table.

'It'll be okay.' Seonghwa assured him, as he made his way to his side and rubbed his back. San now towered over his father, and sometimes liked to joke about his smaller height. But right now Hongjoong felt like a strong pillar supporting him when his knees felt shaky.

San nodded his head after a moment, and let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding in for some time. 'Yeah.' He sighed.

*

'Wake up you slug.'

Yeosang let out a surprised noise as he was hit to the head with a pillow, hard. He opened his eyes to see a bunch of blinding light coming through the window and Kihyun stood in the middle of it, looking down at Yeosang with a frown.

Yeosang blinked a few times in order to get the sleep off of his eyes, but failed. He groaned and pulled the covers in front of his eyes again. He heard Kihyun sigh at this loudly.

'It's 2 pm for god's sake Yeosang, get out of the bed!' Kihyun spoke, raising his voice so that Yeosang wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Well jokes on him, as he grew up with five loud siblings. He has learned to sleep through a whole earthquake by now.

Kihyun crossed his arms and stood next to the messy bed for a moment. Yeosang could hear how his foot tapped against the floor as he waited for him to react. Yeosang snuggled deeper into the bed and hid under the covers.

'You're unbelievable.' Kihyun laughed and gave up, moving elsewhere. Yeosang heard him move in the small kitchen of their shared apartment, making something on the counter.

Yeosang smiled as he realized that Kihyun gave up on trying to wake him up. He let out a satisfied whine as he hugged his pillow tighter, his face mushing up against it. He let his eyes close tight and his mind wander to somewhere else as he wanted to continue his sleep.

'Shownu is gonna come in a minute, by the way.' Kihyun spoke, smirking as he looked at Yeosang from the doorway of his bedroom.

There was a small pause before the lump underneath the covers began to move. Soon Yeosang's dyed grey hair peeked from underneath them and he looked at Kihyun, clearly grumpy. Kihyun smiled as he took a sip from his can, his lips turning red.

'Since when were vampires such morning people.'

'It's 2 pm-'

'It's still morning to me- so shut up.' Yeosang murmured, pushing himself off of the bed and dragging himself past Kihyun and to the bathroom.

'Don't we have any... well, anything?' Yeosang spoke, rubbing the back of his neck as he closed the fridge door. He hadn't seen anything that was edible in there and was now left with a growling stomach as he sat onto a free chair.

'I told you to go grocery shopping yesterday.' Kihyun spoke, playing with his now empty can of blood that he drank a few minutes ago. God, sometimes Yeosang wished that he could live with just one can a day like vampires. Then he could sleep all day long and not worry about getting hungry- or in this case- thirsty.

'Why couldn't you bring us anything?' Yeosang whined as he laid his head against the wooden table, looking at Shownu with a pout.

'I'm sorry, I didn't know that I was dating both of you.' Shownu smiled, his eyes turning into upside down moons. His wings fluttered slightly as well and Yeosang made a face. Why were all fairies so happy all the time?

'You wish you had all of this, I know.' Yeosang joked, showing of his old looking pajamas that he was still wearing. He didn't brush his teeth and hadn't brushed his hair yet. And it had actually been a few days by now, probably. He wasn't really counting.

'I can go get something if you'd like?' Shownu then suggested, and Yeosang managed to get excited already. Kihyun however always liked to ruin his happiness. Yeosang really hated him and didn't know why he was still living with him. Except he totally did, as Kihyun was making sure that he stayed alive. He just liked to be an asshole while doing so.

'He can get it by himself, thanks babe.' Kihyun said, placing a kiss on Shownu's lips before escaping to get his jacket. 'It will actually get him a reason to leave the house sometimes.'

Yeosang let out a snort. 'I think the-fuck-not. I will be just fine.' He spoke, crossing his arms and staring out of the window. It was winter and that meant that it was cold outside. Sure, Yeosang might have a warmer body thanks to being a werewolf- but he still got very cold and didn't like that one bit. Staying inside seemed like a better option to him, even if he would starve.

'I'll just drink all of your blood, I should be fine right?' Yeosang spoke out to get the two's attention as they were getting ready to go outside.

'Yeah, i'd like to see that happen.' Kihyun spoke, making Shownu smile next to him. God they were cute. Gross.

'Just go to the store, Yeosang. Go see some people.' Kihyun said, now all ready to leave outside. He and Shownu liked to go out all the time, either to see a movie or visit some other place. They were a perfect example of a healthy couple and Yeosang kinda hated seeing them being all lovey-dovey everyday. He was the perfect example of a Grinch, so it was kinda bound to happen.

'I see people all the time. Too much actually.' Yeosang spoke, pointing at the two.

'We don't count.' Shownu spoke, looking kinda sorry but also happy because Kihyun thanked him for backing him up.

'When was the last time that you went back home?' Kihyun then asked. Yeosang stopped to think for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. Kihyun rolled his eyes. 'Well maybe you should. You haven't been back in a while now. I bet Jongho misses you.'

Yeosang hummed out at the mention of Jongho, his baby brother. It really had been a while since he saw the other. Maybe a month? Or maybe more, he can’t remember.

Yeosang moved away from home a year ago. It was because he was going to start college and had to move closer to it. But then there were some changes like the fact that Yeosang suddenly didn't want to go back to school. And he wasn't even picked anyways, so it wasn't a big deal.

So he isn't in school at the moment. He is twenty, and living with a roommate who pretty much keeps him alive as he only sleeps and watches old episodes of running man on his computer until it's 5 am.

Kihyun is studying communications and media during the day and works some shifts in his mother's restaurant during the evening and night. He still has some time to be with his annoyingly cute boyfriend Shownu all the time somehow as well. Not cute as in Yeosang thinks he's cute and would like to hit it, but cute as in he's just so goddamn cute because he just is. It's a fairy thing.

Shownu is a year older and is a gym trainer and instructor. He lives in the gym and is made just of muscle. He lives and breaths everything that is exercise and he eats only the things that will make his muscles grow even more. He is tall and scary looking, but once he breaks into a smile and his wings flutter- you realize that he would not hurt a fly.

He looks a bit funny as he is such a big guy, but he then has these golden and almost translucent wings levitating on his back. He looks like the meaner one next to Kihyun, who is tinier and more gentle looking than him with his pastel pink hair at first. But you realize what kind of a monster Kihyun can just be when you get to know him better, trust Yeosang.

Even though Kihyun was just bullying him in the end, he was right. Yeosang really should go back home at some point. The last time he went was around a month ago when Yunho and Mingi had their birthdays. The nineteen year olds still live at home and are still getting ready to start college. 

Yunho will start in the school of performing arts, and will be in the department of practical dance. It was pretty obvious that he was going to get picked, as he has always been such a great dancer from the start. 

Mingi changed up his hobby of acting and instead fell in love with music and composing. Was it really a surprise that one of Hongjoong’s kids were going to end up following his footsteps? He was pretty good too, following Hongjoong into the studio to see him work and learn from him properly. He went there quite often and used his father's own office and studio whenever he wanted- which of course made the other workers hired by Hongjoong quite jealous but hey, what could they do? He was the son of the president of the company.

The twins make Yeosang wonder what would have happened if he would have continued playing basketball.

He stopped the sport pretty soon after his injury from the under-eighteen game that they won back when he was seventeen. He played for a few more months after healing, but realized that he didn't enjoy it that much anymore. Somehow the game had turned boring and he no longer found it interesting and worth all those hours he would have to put into it in order to keep playing in the team. Yeosang quit the team after being in it for almost ten years.

Perhaps it was because of the fact that his arm never healed quite properly and all the daily training was really giving him a bad time. It was aching after just the first hour of practice and he couldn't even pick up a pen at the end of the day after practice. He was in pain pretty often and didn't like it. There really was no other choice but to quit in the end.

But Yeosang isn't bitter. He just sometimes wonders where he would be right not if he kept up with the pain and stress and still played the sport. Perhaps he would be playing with his old teammates in the big games, like they do right now. Well, there is no way of knowing that now.

Yeosang had a hard time realizing that he was wrong and someone else was right. Especially when that someone was Kihyun. But, Kihyun was right- he needed to go back home for a while.

He sighed when he realized that he had no money left in his card and no cash. The fridge was empty and so were the cabinets. None of his friends were around town to feed him right now, so he would just starve to death before Kihyun and Shownu would get back. Or- he could just go back home where he would get to eat everything that he wanted. Because Seonghwa made him everything that he wanted every time he came back.

Yeosang did feel a bit bad for always going back home just to sleep better in a comfortable bed and to eat a bunch, but he knew that Hongjoong and Seonghwa liked it when he came back, so they didn't mind it. They did mind it though when he did nothing around the house, and only washed his own clothes. Yeosang made a mark in his head to remember to do something else as well, if he stayed at the house.

After even checking his car and finding nothing to eat, Yeosang sighed and sat in the front seat of his car, looking at the time. It was now a little over 3 pm, so Seonghwa should be off of work in a moment. Yeosang picked up his phone and looked for the most called number under the i.d 'Daddy Seonghwa' and pressed the call button.

Seonghwa was excited to hear that Yeosang was coming back home after a while. He said that he had missed him a lot and so had everyone else. Yeosang didn't quite believe that, but it was nice to hear.

Seonghwa of course said that it was okay if he came over. He asked what he would like from the store, as he already pretty much knew that he had nothing to eat. Yeosang had shyly listed all of the things that he would like and Seonghwa even promised to make him his favorite food. Seonghwa finished off the call by telling him to drive safely, and Yeosang told him to do the same.

Yeosang left a message to Kihyun telling him that he would be gone for a few days, and that he expects his room to still look the same after he comes back. So Kihyun isn't allowed to touch anything or try to clean around his computer space, no matter how bored he gets.

Kihyun texted him back and told him to have fun back home, with a few curses thrown his way as well.

*

'Will you ever stop growing?' Yeosang groaned as Jongho squeezed him hard. The younger one just smiled as he let go of the other, clearly happy as he got to annoy Yeosang from the start as he stepped inside the house.

Jongho really did grow a lot, as he was no longer that small kid. He was a quite tall thirteen year old, who was way too strong for his age. He could hug someone so hard that they would get bruises.

'Come one, let the kid be.' Wooyoung spoke, coming over to see Yeosang as well. 'He missed you a lot, even though he won't say it himself.' Wooyoung spoke as he gave Yeosang a hug as well. Jongho just shook his head just like Wooyoung said. He wouldn't admit how much he missed his oldest brother, but that was okay with Yeosang. Jongho's daily texts to him already told him how much the other missed him.

'I missed you too!' San then spoke, almost jumping up from the couch as he saw that it was his turn to hug Yeosang. He had no shame in admitting that he missed the other, and proceeded to give him a proper hug. San was even stronger than Jongho, so his hugs felt even more tighter. He was also much taller than Yeosang so he was completely covered by the other as even San's tail wrapped around his smaller frame.

The four boys held a small get together on the couch as they waited for Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Mingi and Yunho to get back home as well. Yeosang had somehow managed to drive back home so fast that even Seonghwa hadn't gotten out of work yet and neither had Hongjoong. Yunho still had dance classes so he stayed at the school for a bit more. Mingi was probably hanging out with friends, since he wasn’t with Hongjoong.

Wooyoung, San and Jongho were really excited to hear what Yeosang has been up to since the last time they saw each other, and Yeosang had to unfortunately tell them that he did absolutely nothing. Somehow even that seemed cool to the three.

'I wish that I could do nothing all day as well.' Jongho had groaned and crossed his arms.

Sure, thirteen year old Yeosang probably thought the same back in the day. It sure did seem cool to not do anything at home instead of going to school. But the twenty year old Yeosang today thought differently.

Being at home all day sucked. Yeosang does nothing but stays inside and is on his computer. He wishes that he could see his friends but all of them go to school or have a job, while he does not. He stays up until the morning and sleeps until the evening.

He wishes that he could do something with his free time, but he hasn't found anything that is interesting and fun to do. College sucks. Jobs won't hire him, because he hasn't gone into college. It's a never ending circle that he hasn't found an answer to just yet.

He hates just wasting his time at home when everyone else is doing something that they like. He just wishes that he too could find something that he would like and that he could make a career out of. Seonghwa and Hongjoong hope that as well, as they hope that he would be successful in something that he would enjoy doing for a long time. The two of them understand how important it is to have something to do that they enjoy doing.

Seonghwa doesn't wish that Yeosang would spend his days in some coffee shop, if he doesn't enjoy working there. Hongjoong doesn't want him to follow his own footsteps if he doesn't want to do that. He should find his own way, and do what he loves the most. Now he just needs to find what that thing would be.

'I ain't gonna share a room with him again.' Yunho spoke as he opened the front door to see Yeosang sitting down on the couch.

'Well good to see you too, dickhead.' Yeosang spoke, making Yunho roll his eyes as he walked past him. For a second, Yeosang thought that he was actually sour about something as he continued walking, but he knew that Yunho would never be mad at him for real. He dropped his school backpack next to the stairs and came back to the couch, over to Yeosang.

'This still doesn't mean that you'll get to sleep in our room.' Yunho murmured as he fell straight into Yeosang's arms, giving him a hug before rolling over to sit next to him. 'I missed you, kinda.' Yunho added.

Yeosang stared at him for a moment, before punching his arm slightly. 'Don't be all sweet like that.' He murmured back, smiling slightly. 'But, I missed you too.'

Yunho and Yeosang ignored the way everyone else awed near them at the sweet gesture. Wooyoung began to tell them to kiss but stopped as Yeosang looked at him dangerously.

'Aww, did we miss something cute?' Mingi spoke as he came inside the house, removing his shoes. He made his way over to his oldest brother, all kiddy and smiling. Hongjoong followed soon after as Mingi left the door open. He carried a bunch of groceries and Yeosang could already guess why, as Seonghwa probably told him to buy a bunch of stuff as he was coming over.

'Yeosang hyung and Yunho hyung hugged and then Wooyoung wanted them to kiss.' Jongho laughed from the floor where he sat down. Yeosang just rolled his eyes as Hongjoong began speaking about how important brotherly love was and why you needed to tell your siblings how much you loved them. Yeosang kinda ignored his speech as he got up from the couch and made his way to him and hugged him, dodging Mingi on the way as the other tried to actually kiss him as a joke.

'Good to have you back Yeosang-ah.' Hongjoong smiled as he hugged him back. It was rare to get something like this from Yeosang. Because he now lived away from home and only came back rarely. And he wasn't very affectionate anymore in his late teens when he still lived at home, so it was nice for him to show his emotions like this again. Mingi was going through the same- so were all of his brothers now that they were teenagers. They were teens who had a lot of things going on at the moment with hormones, growth and such so it was no wonder that they stopped showing lovable emotions to each other and their parents.

'I'm starving.' Yeosang murmured against Hongjoong's shoulder as he hugged him. Hongjoong laughed and he felt him shake with his low laughter. The two pulled away after a moment.

'Seonghwa told me that you might be.' Hongjoong spoke and Yeosang smiled. Of course they would know.

'You really have gotten a lot skinnier.' Hongjoong murmured as he began unloading the groceries. 'Have you been eating at all lately?' He asked and Yeosang just shrugged his shoulders. Hongjoong let out a laugh and shook his head. 'We need to fix that.'

Yeosang would have said something back to him, but was interrupted by the forceful back hug that he got, by none other than Seonghwa. The boys laughed in the background as Yeosang was kissed many times on the face and head by Seonghwa who pretended not to hear Yeosang's cries of help.

Yeosang somehow managed to wrestle out of his arms and was left panting for air as he held onto the kitchen table for support. He pouted as Seonghwa laughed.

'It's your own fault for staying away for so much. You should come back more often so I don't miss you so much.' Seonghwa spoke, reaching over to mess with Yeosang's hair, murmuring something about the dyed color.

If he couldn't handle his dyed hair then he would surely get a heart attack if he found out about his tattoo that he got. It was tiny anyway, so maybe he could hide it from him. He could easily cover the small tattoo on his stomach with just wearing a shirt. What he doesn't know, can't hurt him right?

Soon Seonghwa was able to calm himself and leave Yeosang alone. He did go through a number of questions like how on earth did he manage to survive through all these months with such little food and no proper care after himself? Seonghwa was amazed that he was still alive after eating nothing but canned food that was put into the microwave.

Yeosang was skinnier and his skin tone had changed into much paler. He had dark circles and his face was missing color. He looked like he hadn't eaten properly in weeks and that was probably true. Seonghwa even dared to call Kihyun to ask him why was Yeosang in such a bad condition but Yeosang got him to calm down. In the end it wasn't Kihyun's job to look after him, even though it sometimes seemed like it.

They all calmed down to sit down and eat once food was ready. Yeosang got to enjoy a homemade meal after months of eating nothing but crap. He enjoyed the taste and smell and everything about the food that brought all these memories back from his childhood.

It was nice being back home.

*

Hongjoong met the older man in a hurry while they were both trying to get inside the elevator that was about to close on them.

He remembers their small conversation inside that elevator that left him speechless and with burning cheeks as Seonghwa had the courage to sneak in a wink before he left. Hongjoong was left wanting to know more about this stranger he met in his father's company's elevator.

But he was way too shy and awkward to do anything about it. He only knew his name and nothing else, so how was he even supposed to find him again? It would be impossible, so Hongjoong gave up the hope of ever seeing him again.

But Hongjoong couldn't stop thinking about the other. He kept on rewinding their conversation back in his head just in the hopes of reliving it again. There was just something about Seonghwa that made Hongjoong so interested, and he couldn't figure out what that thing was. He thought that he was being stupid and acting like a teenager who had his first crush. He wanted to forget about the other and just move on with his life, as it wasn't normal to just keep thinking about him like this, as he didn't even know him.

Hongjoong thought he had it bad, but Seonghwa wasn't doing too good either.

He was going through the same thing as well. When he saw Hongjoong in that office building, he just knew that he had to get the job so that he could see him more often. There just was something about him that made him seem so interesting to Seonghwa, he too couldn't pinpoint what that thing exactly was. It was just something.

So, Seonghwa was a bit upset when he didn't get the job. He didn't even like the whole office working space, but he would have liked to take the job just because of this new guy he met. He had fallen deep, and it would be hard to get back up. But he knew that he had to, as he couldn't just drool over this guy he would probably never meet again. And he was a human as well, so it would just be for the best if he would continue his life on like he never even met the other. And so he did.

Seonghwa looked for a new place to work and got the place in a coffee shop. He would have never expected to see the mystery guy walk into the same coffee shop in his first week of working there. But he wasn't complaining, as things moved on from there.

'That is so corny.' Wooyoung laughed as he rolled onto his stomach as he laid on the couch. He hugged a pillow tightly against his chest that he had been holding onto for quite a while now, ever since he asked Seonghwa the question of how he met Hongjoong.

'I know, but quite romantic too right?' Seonghwa smiled as San made a gagging noise. 'Oh come on, isn't it cute to hear how you guys began? If it wasn't for that corny first meeting then you wouldn't be here.' Wooyoung made a noise and San blocked his ears. Guess they still didn't like to hear about things like that, as the whole talk they had about how babies were made and such was still clear in their memory from a few years ago.

'I think it's cute.' Yeosang spoke as he scrolled through his phone, ignoring the angry messages he was getting from Kihyun for leaving the apartment in such a mess.

'See? At least Yeosang appreciates us.' Hongjoong spoke and nudged Jongho who sat next to him. He only rolled his eyes.

They were having a movie night, and chose some old comedy movie. It wasn't even too good so they talked through most of it. Mingi was loudly snoring in the beanbag chair in the corner. Wooyoung and San kept on bullying each other, Yunho and Yeosang were on their phones, Hongjoong fell asleep at one point, so only Jongho and Seonghwa were paying some attention to the movie. This is how most of their movie nights always went even when they were kids.

Back in the day when they went to see movies in the theaters, no one could really enjoy the experience fully. Seonghwa and Hongjoong had to always take turns taking them to the bathroom during the movie when they were little, and then there were times when they needed to clean up a lot of stuff because one of the kids dropped food somewhere. Speaking of food, it was so expensive to buy even a soda to the movies, so it was just a shitty experience from the start. So they had their movie nights at home from that point on.

Yeosang thought that it was nice that he got to be back home and talk with everyone like this. Even though he was away from home only for a few months, a lot had happened that he had missed. He only got to hear about the news through phone calls and messages.

He completely missed the week that Jongho turned, and the news from San's orphanage.

These were big things in the family, and it sucked that he missed out on them. But he was glad that he still got to hear about them afterwards like this.

Jongho turned around a month ago. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling unwell and weird so he got up and woke up Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Seonghwa was quick to tell that he had gone into heat.

Jongho took it very well and had no problem with it. He wasn't afraid or upset. He continued his sleep that night and slept well into the next evening. He had similar symptoms as Wooyoung and Yeosang, but they weren't as severe. It took two more days until Seonghwa could sense what his role was, as he was honestly surprised to find out that Jongho was an alpha.

Maybe it came as such a surprise because Seonghwa had completely given up on the thought of having a child who was something else than an omega. Because he, Wooyoung and Yeosang were both omegas, it was only natural to think that Jongho would be one as well. But Jongho was always someone who liked to surprise you.  
Jongho didn't mind what role he would get, and hadn't even put much thought into it at all after he got over his worries as a child. He was fine with whatever role that he would get, or wouldn't. He would have been fine with being a human as well.

As Yunho crossed the age of eighteen, it was pretty clear that he wasn’t going to turn. Now at the age of nineteen, he was comfortable being a human. Being the only human kid in the family doesn't mind him anymore, even though it used to scare him a tiny bit. But just like Yeosang once told him, it didn't matter what your race or role was in this household. Everyone was loved and treated equally with respect.

Jongho however tried to sneakily take advantage of his upper role in order to get some more respect at the beginning.

His alpha role does have an effect on the omegas in the house, but it does not make them forget the fact that Jongho is the younger one and just messing around. He started off by trying to order Seonghwa around and then trying to make Wooyoung do his homework. The two had to explain to him that it wasn't going to work and he should be more careful when to use his powers, as some people could get honestly mad if they were treated the same way.

Jongho sadly had to live with the fact that his alpha role does not have effect in this house, as it was Seonghwa and Hongjoong who made the rules. Such horrible dictatorship, right?

Yeosang got to hear all about that while watching the movie together. He also got to hear about how Yunho was doing at school and how Wooyoung had risen to the top of his dancing class. Wooyoung also started wearing contacts as he no longer liked to wear his glasses, which was a shame as Yeosang really liked his glasses. He thought he looked so cute with them, but that kinda was the problem as no seventeen year old wanted to hear that they looked cute.

Yeosang also got to hear about the day when San got his papers from the orphanage a few weeks ago.

*

'It'll be okay.' Seonghwa assured him, as he made his way to his side and rubbed his back.

San nodded his head after a moment, and let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding in for some time. 'Yeah.' He sighed.

He sat down in front of the table once again, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong followed him and took a seat on his both sides. San sat still for a moment before he realized that he was the one that they all were waiting for. He reached out for the pile of papers and placed them in front of him.

He was nervous and didn't want to turn the first paper around. He wasn't sure what would be written there, so it was making him feel nervous. He wasn't so sure anymore that this was such a good idea.

'Do you want us to look at them first?' Hongjoong then asked, tightening his grip on San's hand that the other hadn't even realized that he was holding. San quickly nodded his head and didn't let go of Hongjoong's hand.

Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa, who had the exact same expression on his face. He was just as nervous as Hongjoong was.

Perhaps it would be easier to be in this situation if he and Seonghwa knew something about the papers that were in front of them right now. But they knew absolutely nothing. Anything could be written there, and they wouldn't know it. But both of them knew that they needed to take the first step and go forward without showing fear. San was already afraid and nervous, and he didn't need to see the two of them freaking out as well. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have had over seventeen years of time to figure out what to do in this situation, but somehow it was still difficult right now when it was happening.

Hongjoong pushed away that feeling of being nervous and unsure, and he picked up the first paper from the pile.

It was a copy of San's birth certificate, which they already have the original version of. He has already seen it a few times as he wanted to read through it out of curiosity. It didn't have anything in it that was new or out of place, so Hongjoong handed it to San.

San's birth certificate included all his information from birth that every baby had written about them when they were born, except for the part about his parents. His mother didn't need to put her information into the certificate as she already worked together with the orphanage. San already had Hongjoong and Seonghwa who would take care of him as his parents, so she could not be forced to write down her information. San's certificate was updated once he was officially Seonghwa and Hongjoong's son.

But his birth mother did need to leave information to the orphanage, even though the hospital didn't require any for the birth certificate as she literally refused to accept him as her own, willing to put him up for adoption as soon as possible.. This was the next paper that Hongjoong chose from the pile.

San and Seonghwa realized that this paper was different from the first one, as Hongjoong stopped to read it for a moment. The two of them looked at each other momentarily before Hongjoong opened his mouth.

'This is her plea for adoption, and all the paperwork that was put into making the adoption process possible.' Hongjoong spoke as he now looked up from the papers and at San. He opened his mouth to say something more but couldn't find the right words. San knew that there was something written on that paper that would be hard for him to hear about. But he was ready.

'It's okay.' San then said. Hongjoong looked unsure and so did Seonghwa, but he did hand him the papers. San placed them in front of him and began looking through all the complicated words. He was having a hard time navigating through all of the fancy words and odd looking panels. Seonghwa reached over from San's left side and pointed at something.

'It's her name.' Seonghwa then said, pointing at the simple name at the middle of the paper.

San looked at the name in awe. It was odd seeing it. He had never had a name to call his birth mother by, and it was weird now having a proper name to call her by.

'Choi Taehee.' San spoke out, saying the name of his mother for the first time ever.

San continued looking through the document. It was dated back to seventeen years ago, a few months before he was born. His mother pleaded for his adoption when she was 6 months pregnant with San, aged nineteen.

The reason behind her plea was exhaustion and lack of experience and financial support. Hongjoong and Seonghwa began speaking about the reason, saying how they could understand why she did what she did. San agreed with them, but couldn't word his opinion out as he was stuck on one sentence.

'...The weight of having two children alone would be too big for me at the moment, as I cannot have another child and keep it safe and happy. It would be impossible at the moment, so I have no other choice but to make this decision...' San read out loud the comment his mother had left down after being asked what was her reason behind her plea. It continued on and on but San couldn't get past what he just said out loud.

'Two children?' San spoke as he looked at Seonghwa and Hongjoong, who looked just as clueless. 'I have a blood related sibling?'

San was in shock and so were Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

Of course you should be prepared to see anything on those papers, but it was still a surprise to them. San had tried to prepare for this as best as possible, but it still wasn't enough as he was taken back by this new information.

Park Bogum, was his name today, but he was called something else when he was with their mother. Bogum was two years older than San, and had been born to Taehee when she was seventeen. His race was also listed as a cat hybrid onto San's sibling information.

There is little information about Bogum left, as it isn't the orphanage's job and right to keep information about him and pass it onto San. But there were some, as he too spent some time in the same orphanage as San.

He was put there a year after San was born, when he was collected by the social services from Taehee, who could no longer take care of him. Luckily he didn't need to spend a long time in the orphanage as he was adopted a few months later, by a human family in Busan.

San felt surprised, sad and confused all at the same time.

He was surprised to find out that he has a sibling who is related to him by blood, but he was also sad that he only found out about his by now. He lived seventeen years now knowing that there was someone out there who he was related to and could meet with. He would have loved to know his brother better from a younger age. That is of course, if he would like to know him as well.

That 'if' really got him thinking.

If Bogum was two years older than him, then he would have also received his documents two years ago. He would have known that he had a younger brother back then, and could have tried to contact San. But he didn't, and that made him wonder why and should he even try to contact him if he didn't want to meet him?

San was able to accept a no for an answer. He just knew that he needed to try and contact him. He could not let this just slide past and try to forget about it, but he needed to do something about it. Seonghwa and Hongjoong thought the same.

They supported San, and wanted him to be happy. He should try to speak with Bogum, if the other wants to. San too knew that he should not push himself onto the other if he wished not to see him.

San was in a daze.

He just learned that he had another brother- who shared the same DNA as him, who lived in the same country and not that far away. The two of them didn't have a huge age difference and were both cat hybrids. San had many questions that he would like to ask from him. What was his role? Does he remember their mother? How has he been for all of these years? There were so many questions that popped into his mind.

Speaking of their mother, she had some more information written down about her, which left San in an even deeper state of shock.

San didn't remember a thing about this woman, as he only met her once during his labor. He never heard anything else from her until this day and he hadn't even known her name. But still, after all that, he was sad to learn that she had passed away.

Around when San was five, and living with his family, she was just released from serving in prison for drug possession and usage. She was out of prison for a few days, before she was found overdosed in her friends apartment. That was it.

All the things that San would have liked to know about her and hear some things about her- were just these. That she was a druggie and now dead.

San blamed himself, really. He should have known that there would be no happy ending with this story, as there really never was. San would have liked to hear more about himself and where he came from, but he just got this. The few sentences written on an old piece of paper, that's it.

San never knew his mother, but he would have liked to.

San would have liked to hear that she was now living with her new family, and that she had a great job and a big house. He would have liked her to be with someone who loved her and supported her even though she had a rough start. He would have liked her to be there, just somewhere. But she wasn't, as things just sometimes didn't work out like you would like it to.

San had a rough day. He was tired and so were Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

The few hours that they spent that day in the kitchen looking through his papers, were a roller coaster of emotions. There were many surprises as there were some upsetting things. They remember moments when they were smiling and laughing at some point when they read the papers, but the tears that they shed after overpowered them. But that was okay. It was okay to cry today, as long as they remembered to smile tomorrow.

San would get over this after a while, as he needed to gather himself to get back up again. He would look towards the future and forget about the things in the past that he could not change. He needed to think about the things that he did have some power in, like meeting with Bogum.

That was something that San wanted to do and learn more about. Only if Bogum allowed him, of course. But San was so determined that he wouldn't take a simply 'no' for an easy answer.

*

'I thought that you liked it when I came back home..?' Yeosang murmured as Seonghwa rummaged through his clothes that were thrown onto the floor. Yeosang just watched from his bed, peeking from under the covers.

Seonghwa sighed as he got up. 'I do, but not when you do nothing and just sleep all day.' He spoke and reached over to open the curtains, making Yeosang hide under his blanket with a moan. Seonghwa just rolled his eyes as he picked up a few more things and left the room, but not before yelling Yeosang to get up because they were going to see Hongjoong's parents today.

Yeosang sighed and turned to his side. He looked over from his mattress that was laid down on the floor onto the now empty bed that Yunho slept in. Mingi’s bed was also free to use- well, mostly as it didn’t have Mingi in it right now, but it was full of stuff. Yeosang’s bed was long gone from this room as he moved out, so he now had to sleep on the mattress and the bed in the corner of the room looked so welcoming right now. Just as he moved a tiny bit towards the bed and away from his mattress, he could hear Seonghwa again.

'Do not go near that bed Yeosang, get up.' Yeosang just stared at Seonghwa who stood in the doorway, leaning against the door frame with a smirk and his arms crossed. He managed to move out of the way just in time before Yeosang managed to throw his pillow at him.

'You're gonna do the dishes today because of that.' Seonghwa spoke as he left, hearing Yeosang groan in his bed as he walked down the stairs.

'The troll has left it's cave.' San spoke as he saw Yeosang march down the stairs. Wooyoung let out a squeaky laugh and Yeosang glared at the two, fighting the urge to curse out or showing them the middle finger as Seonghwa would probably see that as well somehow and complain. Having to raise six kids left him with the ability to see with the back of his head.

Yeosang had somehow managed to change into proper clothes that didn't look like they were something that he slept in and also didn't have some odd stains on them. He also wore a beanie on his head in order to hide his grey dyed hair as his grandmother wouldn't like it too much. It was winter anyways so it wouldn't be too weird to be wearing a hat inside as well.

Yeosang moved inside the kitchen and found himself some leftovers that he put inside the microwave. He would probably get something to eat at his grandparents place as well but he was way too hungry to wait until getting there. Once the food was ready, he sat in front of the table and took out his phone.

There were a few text messages left from Kihyun and even Shownu that he began reading through. They were mostly just asking if he was still alive because he hadn't called back in a few days. Yeosang has been too busy eating and playing old video games that he hasn't even charged his phone.

He sent Kihyun a picture of the food that he was eating, hoping that it would answer his question. Yes, he was alive and eating well. Seonghwa even made him do chores and go outside so he was actually doing something with his free time. Kihyun would be proud.

Yeosang continued eating his food and happened to look outside of the window next to him. There he saw Hongjoong and Yunho doing something in their car. Yunho was sitting on the driver's seat and Hongjoong spoke to him from the outside through the open window. Yunho was probably learning how to drive, and judging from the way that he left the turn signal on suddenly and pushed the horn by accident- Yeosang could guess that it wasn't going too well.

Yeosang already has his driving license but Yunho hasn't got his own yet. Yeosang got his when he turned eighteen and he got it on the first try, but Yunho has been struggling for a while already. He is nineteen now and could get his licence, but he hasn't made into the driving school yet. He has been too busy with school and dancing, but he is also very scared.

Yeosang finished eating and made his way over to the two. He pulled on an old jacket and put his hands inside his pockets as he walked outside into the cold. The ground was frozen and there was a good amount of snow as well. It wasn't snowing at the moment but it had been snowing for the whole previous night and it might snow again soon. They lived in Seoul so the roads were being taken care of well here, but the roads in the countryside weren't in a very good condition. There was also some problem with the power and such in those areas as well. But luckily they didn't need to worry about it right now.

'You sure that you don't want to drive?' Yeosang smirked as he turned to look at the backseat to see Yunho pout with his arms crossed. Yunho was put to the backseat as he almost drove Hongjoong's car to the side of the house when he was messing around with the gas pedal. He was now sulking next to San and Wooyoung while Jongho sat next to Yeosang. The five of them took Yeosang's own car as Hongjoong and Seonghwa took the car that Yunho almost destroyed. What their parents did not know was that Mingi did not take his own motorbike like he said he would and instead squeezed himself inside the small car and is currently illegally sitting as an extra person in the backseat without a belt. Jongho was terrified of the police somehow finding out and arresting them all. Also Yeosang’s old car was a literal death trap.

Yeosang brought the old thing back in the day when he first got his licence. He brought it with the money that he got from old basketball matches. He had to sell a few medals as well to get all the money that he needed for it. The car was a moving piece of shit that couldn't move up a hill without the engine screaming and making some smoke, but Yeosang loved it like his own child. He was proud of that car, as it was the first big thing that he bought with just his own money. Others had much better and bigger cars, but that didn't bother Yeosang as he liked his piece of crap car, because he earned the money for it.

Yeosang smiled as he started the engine- with some trouble- and began driving onto the road. Jongho sat in his seat, excited that he got to be next to Yeosang and the others had to sit back. The car had just two doors so Yunho, Wooyoung, Mingi and San had to somehow make their way into their seats at the back and now stick beside each other for the whole ride. They obviously didn't like it when Yeosang made a quick turn- making them squish to one side and hug each other tightly so that they don't feel like they were falling off their seats. Yeosang also made some quick stops on his way just to make the others feel annoyed as the seat belts dug onto them. They didn't like it one bit, but the way Jongho laughed made Yeosang repeat this a few times.

It was a rough ride, so it was no wonder that San almost kissed the ground once he got off. If he would have done that, his lips would have probably got stuck on the frozen ground. He has already got his tongue stuck on cold metal pipes like a million times, so it would be something that he would manage to do easily somehow.

Yeosang parked the car and they moved inside, as they didn't want to stay in the cold and wait for Seonghwa and Hongjoong to arrive. Yeosang also forgot to take any other winter clothing with him than just a jacket and a few beanies, so he was freezing all the time when he went outside. Just being in his car was way too cold for him, as it had no working heating.

Thank god their snob grandparents had a lot of money so they could pay for proper heating, because Yeosang was shivering by the time he entered the house. He took off his jacket and placed it properly into a hanger -so that his grandmother wouldn't get pissed off- and also readjusted his beanie so that his dyed hair was more hidden -also something that he wouldn't get yelled at for.

Not even a few seconds later- Yeosang felt someone wrap their arms around his torso and a pair of wet lips smacked against his cheek. Yeosang didn't even need to guess who it was, as it was quite obvious.

'Oh my goodness you have gotten so skinny!' His grandmother spoke as she squeezed Yeosang's cheeks with his fingers. She also removed the mark of lipstick that had stayed on from the kiss.

'Do you not have enough money to buy yourself proper food darling?' She cooed as she kept on touching his cheeks and poking his side. She murmured something about Hongjoong not being fair enough and sending him more money. Yeosang had enough money, and was just fine. Hongjoong, Seonghwa and even his grandparents all sent him some money from time to time so that he had enough to buy everything that he needed. It was just that he was way too lazy to go out and do something with that money, like buy food or repair his car.

'I'm fine.' Yeosang assured her, wanting her to quit worrying and also to turn her attention to someone else so that his cheeks wouldn't fall off. He somehow managed to do that and she now made her way to Yunho, who she immediately hugged.

Yeosang took this chance and escaped into the living room, where he found his grandfather sat down on the couch.

'How are you kiddo?' He asked as he saw Yeosang enter the room and walk up to him. He got up to give him a hug and the two then sat back down next to each other. Yeosang began speaking about everything that he has been up to for the past few months- which wasn't much. He had called both of his grandparents a few times, but it was always something that you forgot about. Yeosang regretted not calling them enough as he really did like to speak with both of them. He still loved to listen to all of the stories that his grandfather told him, even though he has heard them a few times already.

Soon later Seonghwa and Hongjoong arrived as well, and they all gathered into the dining room. Hongjoong's mother had made a huge amount of food, mostly just because she heard that Yeosang was coming back home after such a long time. She made all his favorites and made him taste everything. Yeosang was starting to feel quite full already by the end of the meal, but he had to eat some more or she would get upset. So Yeosang shut up and ate some more. His stomach felt like ripping by the end.

Yeosang was also sitting between the two, so he got bullied and talked about a lot by their grandparents. Which was kinda annoying as his brothers kept on laughing at him, but also nice as he really missed them and it was nice being around them after such a long time.

Yeosang still remembers the day when his grandfather had his heart attack years ago. He heard the news from Hongjoong after he came back home from the hospital where he went to see him. He was in a really bad shape, and it was a miracle that he had survived. It was also a miracle that there were no other problems that stuck with him after the heart attack. Yeosang was shocked to hear the news as a kid and was honestly scared. He had heard kids at school mention that their grandparents had passed away at some point and thinking about that made Yeosang feel horrible. He was honestly so lucky to have all four of his grandparents around for all of his life. Sure, he might find them a bit annoying at some point with all their questions and concerns but that just means that they love you, so he should not be complaining at all. And he isn't.

Although there are some moments when Yeosang does feel like maybe they go a bit overboard with their curiousness and questions.

'Have you spoken with Yeonjun in a while?'

Yeosang nearly choked on his drink when his grandmother brought up the name he had tried to forget about for a while.

'I spoke with his mother a while ago and we spoke about you two.' She spoke, clearly not seeing that Yeosang was getting red and others had a smirk on their faces. 'She thought the same as me- that it was a shame that you two had to br-'

'No we have not spoken.' Yeosang cut her off quickly. He also glared at San who was about to say something. He saw the look that Yeosang had and shut his mouth immediately. He realized that this was not the topic to be joking about right now.

'Oh, that's a shame.' She spoke and Yeosang sighed as she didn't realize that this was something that Yeosang didn't feel like talking about. She then kept on speaking about the conversation that she had with Yeonjun's mother. Yeosang wasn't even really listening anymore at this point.

'Let the kid be, honey.' Yeosang's grandfather then came to the rescue. 'I don't think he likes to hear about that anymore.' He spoke and gave Yeosang an understanding look and Yeosang became much more relieved.

'I am just saying- maybe they could try again! That's not being mean is it?' His grandmother spoke, looking for help from Yeosang.

'Well, I mean-'

'See? I am just trying to help.' Yeosang rolled his eyes as Wooyoung let out a laugh when he was ignored. He sunk deeper in his seat and wished that he could just escape quickly without them noticing. He did not feel like going through this same conversation again.

At some point even Seonghwa became bored of the conversation relating Yeosang's failed love life and asked Hongjoong's mother to stop. She still insisted that she had just tried to help and in a way that was correct. Whenever this conversation popped up- she did give Yeosang some good advice about dating and such, but it was just that Yeosang didn't need that advice right now. He had no intentions to start dating again after his last relationship.

The topic of the conversation soon changed into something else. Maybe it was something about San or Jongho- Yeosang wasn't too sure anymore as he just kept on thinking about what her grandmother said before.

It was a shame, huh?

Well kinda. Yeosang could say that too, that it was a shame that things didn't work out. But sometimes things just weren't meant to work out in the end. Yeosang believed that everything had a reason behind it, even behind every sad thing. He did not think like this first when he and Yeonjun stopped being together.

It happened a year ago, when Yeosang still lived at home. He and Yeonjun got to know each other better after his team won the cup. They became friends and stayed as ones for a while, before things moved forward. Yeosang was eighteen when they made their relationship official.

Things were great and they continued to be for the year that they were together. But just like most good things, they come to an end.

Yeonjun never quit playing basketball, unlike Yeosang who did. Yeonjun still loved the sport and wanted to make a career out of it for himself. Yeosang supported his dreams and wanted him to go after those dreams. It was sad that in order for those dreams to become real it took the cost of their relationship.

Yeonjun moved to Jeonju where he ran after his dreams of joining a club in the Korean basketball league. Jeonju wasn't that far away from Seoul, but the many days and hours that Yeonjun needed to spend practicing and participating in games meant that he had no time to come back to Seoul. He couldn't even come back to see his parents, so seeing Yeosang wasn't an option either.

It was very hard being away from each other and communicating only by phone and computer. Both of them were aware of the situation, but it still took them a few months to end things for good. Yeosang still remembers the phone call that the two shared that evening when they ended the relationship. Yeosang thought that it was a shame that this too needed to be done through the phone instead of seeing each other live. But somehow it made the goodbye's a bit easier. Perhaps because you could easily leave the situation in the end. And that is exactly what happened as the two ended the call. That was the last time that Yeosang spoke with Yeonjun, and it was around one year ago.

It sounds corny as hell, but there really hasn't been a day ever since when Yeosang hadn't thought about the other. He actually wishes that he could stop thinking about the other, but it seems so impossible.

He has tried to forget really hard though. He moved away from home in the thought of starting school. That would have taken his mind away from the other a lot, but then he ended up just staying at home. He spent more time alone than before, which meant more time to think about what could have been.

Yeosang tried to write something or compose after Mingi explained how much it helped him with expressing his feelings, but ended up writing only sad stuff and making depressing music. He soon stopped as he realized it was helping him at all, but instead making him feel even shittier than before.

Also, he made a mental note to ever ask for help regarding relationships from the other as Mingi was way too optimistic when it came to love. It was of course a secret that he and the rest of their siblings needed to keep from their parents for some reason, but Mingi had been seeing a particular someone for quite some time already. Yeosang couldn’t really blame the other, Hwanwoong was a lovely person to be around with. It was no wonder that his brother fell for the witch.

Yeosang then took everyone's advice and tried to date again. He thought it would make life a bit easier, since he experienced heats and all but… He hated it so much that he considered becoming a monk.

So there was nothing yet that Yeosang found to be helping him with his break up blues. Even a whole year later he feels sad about what happened, and it makes him feel shitty. He just hopes that he could get over the whole thing, but it seems too impossible.

He sometimes feels a bit better about it, but then people have to remind him about it- like his grandparents and everyone. Seeing Kihyun and Shownu together doesn't help too much either. They are such a great couple that it hurts Yeosang to look at them. Maybe that's just the old emo kid in him that wishes that no one else was happy when he couldn't be either. Sometimes even seeing his own parents all cute together made his heart hurt a bit.

Yeosang knew that it was stupid, and that he was over reacting a bit. But seeing everyone together and happy made himself worried for himself. He was only twenty but he worried about being alone. He too wanted to be happy with someone and start something with that person. Who would that someone be then? Yeosang didn't know anymore.

If Yeosang had it hard when it came to love, then Yunho was being tortured.

Everyone knew that he and July were a 'thing'. Well if only it was actually that simple.

You see, he and July have now known each other for almost ten years now and they have been inseparable since the first day that July joined Yunho's class back when they were just ten. Yunho saw the shy and quiet kid back then and made it his personal goal to become her friend.

Yunho bought her that old kitten decoration that she still has after all these years. They began speaking and playing together in school and it didn't even matter that she was a fairy and spoke broken Korean. They understood each other good enough to be friends and to have fun. Yunho didn't care what his other friends spoke about the two, and how it was odd that he was playing with a girl. Yunho liked her and that was all that mattered.

Yunho didn't really know when the realization hit him, but when it did- he was sure. He had a crush on July. He thought that it was odd and a bit wrong, as they were friends. You weren't supposed to have a crush on your friend, right?

Yunho tried to shake that feeling off for the past few years, but it never left. When they both entered junior high school, Yunho realized that he wouldn't be able to get rid of the feelings that he had for the other.

But Yunho never said anything. He stayed quiet and continued to just be July's best friend. The thought of telling her about his feelings made him scared and the thought of what she would say back was even more frightening. She could absolutely regret his confession and then everything would be ruined. Yunho feared that more than anything.

So, they just stayed as friends.

Soon Yunho realized that he had no other friends than July. He hadn't even noticed the fact that he had managed to push everyone else away at some point. He now only had July to be around with and who to speak with in school. It sometimes sucked when July wouldn't be in school or when they weren't put in the same groups when doing school stuff.

People liked to talk and spread rumors. Everyone thought that they were dating and Yunho sometimes forgot that they weren't either. It was complicated.

When realizing that they weren't together people began spreading rumors that perhaps Yunho was gay. Which was odd to him, as Yunho saw nothing wrong with that. But kids were mean and they had their own opinions that they liked to share. So, Yunho got called a few things in the hallways during those days in school.

Yunho and July started dancing around the same time. The two of them loved the art and still do to this day. It brought them closer together and it was something that they enjoyed doing together. Yunho started gathering his thoughts around that time and thought about talking with July about their relationship. But things of course had to get more complicated again.

July started hanging out with the Thai kid- called Ten. He moved to Korea as an exchange student from Thailand so that he could study dancing better. He was put into Yunho's and July's dance team and he got to know everyone pretty quickly.

July and him started talking a lot as they could speak together in english and they had similar backgrounds as they were both fairies. They started hanging out a lot and Yunho was left as the third wheel.

He would never admit it out loud, but he was jealous.

July seemed to like Ten a lot, so how could he not be? Yunho had been her best friend for so long but she now left him aside for this new kid. It seemed mean and unfair. Yunho decided that he didn't like Ten after that.

Unlike Yunho had hoped, Ten stuck around for a while. He had secretly hoped that he would just go back to Thailand instead of staying in Korea, which was obviously mean and petty of him, but he just couldn't help it. He didn't like having him around, which was a shame as Ten really was nice.

Ten really would have liked to be around Yunho as well, but he wouldn't let him get too near him. Ten really liked the way that Yunho danced and would have liked to learn from him, but he couldn't as Yunho was too cold to be around with. July noticed this as well and asked him about it.

The two fought as Yunho couldn't give her a proper explanation for his behavior. She could not understand why Yunho was suddenly acting so weird when Ten was around, and Yunho couldn't tell the truth.

He was afraid.

The thought of everything changing between them scared him. Yunho wanted to tell July that he liked her, but he couldn't as the thought of their friendship being possibly in danger because of it made him too scared. He wanted things to stay the same as before, but he knew that wasn't possible. Yunho would go mad in the end if he kept on being just a friend.

The thought of July being with someone else made his head ache and his heart hurt. It caused him anxiety and mad thoughts. He hated to think about it, and he hated the fact that it was even possible. Having Ten around just made things even worse.

Yunho was in a so-called trap- or as everyone else liked to say- in the friend zone.

He was known to be afraid of many things. Bugs, the doctors, Santa... You just name it and he probably fears it in some way. Yunho was a scaredy cat and everyone- including himself- knew that.

For some reason he no longer wanted to be known as the scaredy cat anymore.

Perhaps the tipping point was when Yunho realized that he and July would soon take different routes as high school would end. He would continue dancing and she would pursue another dream. Seeing each other would become much more difficult after and Yunho doesn't know if he can handle just a few text messages between them daily.

Yeosang's break up with Yeonjun also made a big difference to Yunho's mind. Seeing his big brother being so sad when he was away from the other made him feel sorry and sad. He didn't want to separate from July like that. But Yunho found himself standing in the middle of a road that would divide into two.

One would lead him to a world where he would be July's friend and possibly drift away from her as she continues to meet new people. She would grow away from Yunho as the two would never see each other. All she would have left to remind her of him would be that tiny glass kitten.

The second one would lead to a possible relationship. He would confess and perhaps she would say yes. They would be away from each other, but she wouldn't forget about him. The end to this road might be filled with sorrow as it might end like it did with Yeosang and Yeonjun.

He doesn't want to regret the decisions that he makes in his life. And right now the thought of embarrassing himself with a confession didn't seem too bad when he thought about losing July for good. Yunho didn't want all of these years together to go to waste with just a simple goodbye and a wave.

For the first time, he decided not to be a scaredy cat. Yunho took the first step towards his chosen road.

'How is July doing Yunho-ah?' Their grandfather asked as he saw Yunho on the phone. He could easily guess who he was texting with. He smiled as he saw Yunho's cheeks flush.

'She's fine.' Yunho spoke as he put his phone inside his pocket. 'She is getting ready to move into her own apartment.' He spoke and his grandparents nodded their heads.

'She is such a lovely girl, you should ask her to come over more often.' His grandmother spoke and Yunho smiled. Yeosang and San made gagging noises in the background, but Hongjoong stopped them.

'I will try to remember to.' Yunho laughed. July really was loved in the family, which was great. His siblings liked to make fun of him for being so love struck every time someone even mentioned her, but Yunho didn't mind. He was way too happy to even yell back at them about it afterwards.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong really liked July and were really happy that they were together. They had been kinda hoping that the two of them would get together ever since they were kids as they were so cute together. July was also absolutely gorgeous, with her tanned dark skin and very curly hair. She was breaking the stereotype of set Korean beauty, with grace.

The rest of the family knows her very well as well as she has visited Hongjoong's parents many times and even participated in one family meeting over at Seonghwa's parents house. She got a very warm welcome as a new visitor. Everyone was so excited to see a fairy in the meeting and they were very happy for Yunho. He was the happiest one out of all of them.

He too met July’s parents a few times, always scared when meeting with her father. He was a strong and tough looking man- who spoke a bit harshly as he didn’t know Korean that well. Yunho was luckily talented enough to speak english. 

Yunho remembers the day very well, when he decided to pull his head out of the gutter.

He was nervous. He felt like fainting, throwing up and wetting himself all at the same time because he was so nervous. But he pushed all of those feelings away and concentrated on his words. He asked July to stay around after dance practice one day, and he felt almost regretful when she said yes.

He told her everything.

He can't remember a lot from it as it was all just a big blur. He told her about his childhood crush on her, and all about his jealousy in the past few years. He told her about his current feelings and how much he has been fearing losing her because of the way that he has been acting lately.

Yunho made a hurried confession that was full of quick words and nervous hand movements. He was nervous and probably not making too much sense most of the time, but he got everything out that he wanted. July somehow understood what he even said, which was a surprise.

'Took you long enough.' She had laughed, and Yunho felt himself go numb. 'I thought that you would never get the courage to say that to me.' She smiled and crossed her arms.

Yunho let out a laugh as he let his head hang between his stressed shoulders. He felt himself relax suddenly. The anxiousness and nervousness began to fade away from his head, and he could think much more clearer than before.

'You mean that you knew for all this time and never said anything?' Yunho then spoke, lifting his head back up.

'You were kinda obvious.' July smirked and Yunho felt his cheeks turn red. 'I didn't want to push myself onto you, so I decided to wait for you.'

'That was a horrible idea.' Yunho murmured and July nodded her head. She took a step closer to Yunho and stood in front of him.

'But we got here in the end, right?' She spoke with a small smile on her lips. 'That's all that matters to me.' Yunho nodded his head.

She was right.

Sure, things could have been moved at a much more faster pace than this. They could have gotten to this point much faster if Yunho would have been a bit more stronger and not as scared. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

He was now ready. He hadn't been a few years ago.

Back then he would have surely done something that would have ended what they would have together. They were both young and foolish and wouldn't have known a thing about love and how to treat each other as a couple. Yunho was glad that he was much wiser and stronger today, so that he was able to get to this point.

July was patient and waited for all this time. She knew exactly what was going through Yunho's mind and she wanted him to figure it out by himself and Yunho is so thankful for that. He needed to think through all of this by himself and figure his mind out. In the end the decision was made all by himself and he is proud because of that.

Now, with a calm mind, he is finally able to tell his feelings and take action thanks to them. He finally realizes how strong regret can be and how he never wants to experience it.

This relationship might not last forever, but Yunho is willing to take that risk so that he can experience this time together with July. He does not want to wake up one morning twenty years later when he begins thinking about what could have been. He doesn't want to think about it, but experience it himself instead.

It was a risk that he was willing to take.

*

'You look nothing like me.' Bogum laughed as he sat across San.

San smiled shyly and nodded his head. 'We are both hybrids, so at least have that going on.' He spoke and Bogum nodded his head.

The atmosphere in the small cafe was calm and quiet. It calmed San's rapid heart beat and rising anxiety.

He had waited for this day for quite a while now. It had been a few weeks since he found out about Bogum and he had reached out for him after that. San didn't know if he should have been more surprised or nervous when Bogum answered his facebook message and agreed with the meeting after San explained the situation. Bogum too must have been surprised to see him send him a message but he agreed immediately and suggested that he would come over to Seoul to meet him.

San was excited to finally meet him, but also scared. He had so many questions and things that he wanted to know about the other. He needed to just calm himself first so that he could actually ask them.

They ordered something to drink and sat back down onto their seats. Bogum removed the winter clothing that he had worn for the cold weather outside. San then got to see the color of his ears and tail properly in real life and not in pictures.

'We both have long dark brown fur.' San spoke and took a sip of his hot drink. Bogum nodded his head in agreement.

'We also have dark green eyes.' He spoke. San had to agree as he now looked at his eyes better and saw that they were indeed the same color as his. It wasn't rare for cat hybrids to have green eyes, but the most usual color was always brown. Blue eyes were also something that hybrids could have, but they were the rare ones.

San began to wonder if the two of them shared their mothers genes or their fathers. San didn't actually even know if he and Bogum shared a father at all. Probably not, as the two looked so different.

'You probably have a lot of questions.' Bogum then spoke, almost as if he was able to hear what San had been thinking about.

San did. There were so many things on his mind that he needed to ask. He wanted to know so many things but he didn't even know were to start as everything was so hard to put together. He also didn't know how much Bogum even knew about their past, so he possibly wouldn't even get all his answers.

San let out a sigh. 'Yeah, there is a lot.'

'Luckily we have a while.' Bogum smiled and San relaxed a bit. Perhaps that was just what he needed in order to get through all of his questions, with a clearer mind. So, San took a deep breath and began going through his thoughts in his head, before actually voicing them out to Bogum.

Before jumping into the big questions, San wanted to know more about Bogum himself so that he would get to know him better. He already knew his age and such, but he knew nothing more. He was interested to know what kind of a life he had been living for all these years.

'I live with my human mom and dad in Busan.' Bogum then began telling as he asked him. 'I was adopted by them when I was almost three years old, from Seoul's orphanage.' San nodded his head and told Bogum that he too was put into the same orphanage when he was an infant.

'Do you have any siblings?' San then asked.

'No, I am an only child in the family.' He smiled and San nodded his head. 'What about you?'

'Oh. It's kinda complicated.' San laughed. 'Well, I have five brothers and two fathers.' He began explaining and Bogum listened, interested to hear about San's life. 'My Dad is a werewolf and my father is a human so my siblings are a mix of the two. I am the only adopted one.'

'Must be nice to have so many siblings.' Bogum smiled as he stirred the spoon in his drink.

San blinked a few times. 'Yeah, it is. In a way. It can get annoying sometimes though.' He said and Bogum laughed. There was a silent moment as Bogum took a sip of his drink.

'Look, i'm sure that you are wondering about one thing- well, many things actually... But uh, I feel like I should explain myself. And why I never contacted you earlier. Because I also received my papers from the Seoul's orphanage two years ago like you did. So I did know about you ever since, but never tried to contact you.'

San nodded his head. 'That was something that I wondered about, yes. I even thought that maybe you wouldn't even answer my facebook message as I thought that maybe you wouldn't want to meet with me.'

'I can totally see why.' Bogum spoke. 'I guess that because I never contacted you, you thought that I had no intentions of ever speaking with you.' San nodded his head.

'Well, the truth is that I have been waiting to contact you for quite some time now.' Bogum spoke, as he played with the now empty coffee cup on the table.

'I heard that I had a little brother two years ago, when I turned eighteen. I was shocked, to be honest as I never had a sibling. So it was odd to now suddenly have one. I learned that you were fifteen at the time, and I thought that it wasn't the right time to try and contact you. I wanted to wait some more, so that you were old enough to understand things and to get your own papers from the orphanage. I didn't want to rush things just because I wanted to meet with you, because it might have been unfair for you. So I decided to wait for a while, until you also knew about the situation and wanted to meet with me. Somehow I kinda knew that you would contact me when you were ready.'

San nodded his head. It made sense, kinda.

Bogum didn't want to be selfish and push himself into San's life at the time when he was younger. Sure, San has always said that it would have been better to hear about this way earlier, but he is also glad that it happened this way. He is much wiser and calmer today then he was two years ago. His fifteen year old self would have probably reacted differently to the news than he did today.

In the end he is just happy that they got here today and not a day later.

San knew that he was maybe asking a bit too much when he brought up the topic, as it was almost impossible that Bogum would even remember anymore. He was only two when he last saw their mother after all.

'I remember small bits and pieces.' Bogum murmured. 'Her voice, her eyes... Not much more. It was all just a blur pretty much.' San hummed as he leaned against his hand, deep in thought as he listened to Bogum.

'I remember her being sad a lot. There was a lot of crying.' Bogum spoke. 'I also remember seeing a lot of people that I could never recognize. Perhaps they were her friends, or partners. I am not sure.' Bogum said with a sad laugh.

'Most of my memories from childhood were when I got to the orphanage and when I met my family. There isn't much that I remember about her.' Which was understandable. San too doesn't remember much from the time he was two years old, so he wasn't expecting a miracle.

'There isn't a lot at all.' San then spoke. 'It's a shame.'

'Yeah.' Bogum hummed as he looked at San. 'She didn't leave us with a lot, but at least she gave us each other.' San's lips formed into a gentle smile.

Choi Taehee was a mystery. She was the woman that gave birth to the brothers who only met each other after eighteen years. She was the reason why they were even born and also the reason why they were separated.

If it wasn't for her, they wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for her 'mistakes', San and Bogum would have never been separated. They also would have never found their families that love them very much.

She was the reason behind many bad things and good things.

Bogum and San were caught in the middle of feeling sad and happy. The two feelings were so different that it was hard to make them fit together when they thought of their mother. There was confusion and so many questions that they would never get answers to.

Both of them were sad to know that she was gone, but also not in a way as they never even knew her.

But they would have loved to know her. But sometimes life just works like that. You don't always get what you want or a happy ending. There was no happy ending for Taehee, as the life that she lived was so against her. Perhaps if she lived a different life, would have she been able to meet her children once again in the future.

But that is impossible, and both San and Bogum know that. So the only thing that they can truly say at the end of the day is a thank you.

A thank you for bringing them into this world and for making the right decision for their future. It must have been so hard to take the step into giving your child away, twice, and San knows that. There was nothing easy about it, but she still did it in order for him and Bogum to have a better life. Bogum knew that she must have done everything that she could to keep him, but she just couldn't in the end.

Both of them know that she did not give up at any point, and that she wanted nothing but the best for them. They might never know what she truly thought, but her actions speak for her. She wasn't the bad guy, but someone who knew that they couldn't handle things by themselves anymore.

She is the reason behind why San and Bogum have such good lives today, and they will be forever thankful.

*

'I am going to choke you in your sleep Kihyun, I swear to god.' Yeosang cursed under his breath as he looked at his room. Yes, it was still in it's messy state that it was before- and Kihyun hadn't cleaned it like Yeosang asked him not to. But, there were sticky notes all over his walls, computer screen and even his bed.

Luckily for him, Kihyun wasn't even around to receive the beating that Yeosang was surely going to give him. And god help Shownu if he dared to come in between them.

The two were probably out, or at work. Yeosang didn't know as he hadn't kept contact with either of them for a few days now. He spent his last days over at the house just eating and sleeping. He surely gained a few pounds out of all the food that he ate. But Yeosang didn't mind, because as long as his clothes still fit him- it was okay.

Instead of even trying to remove all of the sticky notes from his room, he just sat down in the living room and took out his phone. The temptation to send Kihyun a text was too big and he gave up.

'You better bring me food if you ever want to return without getting killed.' Yeosang spoke out loud as he sent Kihyun the message. He placed his phone next to himself and leaned back against the back of the couch. He let out a long whine as he realized that Kihyun had turned off the heating as it was freezing. Kihyun didn't need any of that as he liked being in colder places. It was a vampire thing.

Instead of making it all over to the heater, Yeosang wanted to be lazy and just took the blanket that was on the couch and threw it over himself. He closed his eyes and let himself relax, tired from the kinda long car ride all the way from the house. He stretched his legs and let them lean against the coffee table. His stomach growled but he was too lazy to even care. And they still probably didn't have any human food, so there was nothing he could do. Of course he could actually go to a store and buy something to eat, but he was way too lazy to ever do that. And besides, that was now Kihyun's job if he ever wanted to come back home without getting murdered.

Speaking of Kihyun, Yeosang soon got a message back as his phone made a sound, waking him up.

Yeosang was grumpy for a second before the thought of food hit his mind. He reached for his phone and brought it close to read the message. He almost dropped it when he read it. He could feel how his heart skipped a beat and how he suddenly began to feel so anxious.

'Can we talk?'

It was a simple message and a normal question that many people asked over a text, but it was the person that sent him the message that made Yeosang suddenly feel so nervous.

He even forgot that he still had the number saved in his phone at all.

Yeosang shook his head and put the phone down. He would not answer it. Not now. He was not in the mood to be going through some emotional shit and he would rather just sleep until he couldn't sleep any longer. Running away from your problems was bad, but Yeosang was good at it as it was the only kind of exercise that he was getting these days.

So, he ignored it. He took his phone and brought it over to his room. He threw it onto his -sticky note covered- bed and hoped that it would not make anymore noise after this. He even thought about shutting the power off of it, but didn't as he still wanted Kihyun to answer his message. He ignored his phone for the rest of the day and sat down in front of his computer and began removing the sticky notes from it.

If Kihyun had the money to spend it on dumb stuff like this, then he surely could spend some on his food, he thought as he threw the paper into the garbage.

Once clean, he opened his computer and began reading through a bunch of emails that he had been ignoring for a few weeks now that he has been at home.

There were the few sales on different clothing sites, some trash mail and notice that his twitter account was placed on a twelve hour ban, stuff like that. Nothing interesting. So he began playing video games.

He didn't know how long he even played for when he heard the doorbell ring. He paused the game and got up, looking at the mirror to check that he was wearing proper clothes to open the door in.

Yeosang opened the door, and froze in place as he saw the two behind the door.

Kihyun laughed awkwardly as he eyed Yeosang who looked more than shocked. He soon got over his shock and glared at Kihyun in such a way that the vampire felt cold shivers go down his spine.

'Hey, at least I brought you food.' Kihyun said in his own defense.

Yeosang let out a deep sigh.

Never in a million years did Yeosang ever think that he would see Yeonjun again, and in their own apartment for god's sake.

When he got his message earlier, of him asking to see Yeosang again, he really wanted to just ignore it and move on. He didn't like to think about Yeonjun right now and what he needed to talk to him about. He was tired, annoyed and just not interested.

So, it was pretty obvious that Yeosang was annoyed and mad as Kihyun somehow took Yeonjun with him and brought him to their apartment. To Kihyun's defense, he did indeed bring food. So Yeosang wanted to thank him but also commit the crime of murdering him in cold blood at the same time.

Kihyun could sense this pretty easily, so he decided to leave. Well, it was more of an escape than just leaving by himself as Yeosang didn't want him to go and leave them two alone. But he somehow managed to leave when Yeosang wasn't paying attention.

Yeosang cursed under his breath when he noticed that he had left, before the realization hit him that Yeonjun was standing in the living room, probably waiting for him to come talk to him. Yeosang sighed deeply before marching into the living room.

'You really left me no other choice as you wouldn't answer my texts.' Yeonjun laughed awkwardly as Yeosang stood there with his arms crossed. He wasn't really feeling like laughing right now. But he couldn't stay mad at Yeonjun, and neither to Kihyun- even though he felt like the other deserved the cold shoulder. Yeonjun just wanted to talk to him, and Kihyun wanted to help.

Yeonjun already explained that he had to call Kihyun when Yeosang wouldn't answer his text messages. He was in Seoul for a few days and wanted to speak with Yeosang, and he wouldn't give up so easily even when Yeosang tried to ignore him. So he asked for help from Kihyun, who he knew was Yeosang's roommate from another friend.

Kihyun was glad to help as it meant possibly annoying Yeosang in any way possible. Yeosang couldn't wait to change his blood cans into cans of tomato juice instead someday and watch him puke it out.

'What made you come here?' Yeosang then asked, after finishing up with his revenge plan to Kihyun in his head.

Yeonjun stood still for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. 'I just wanted to see you. Do I really need another reason?' Yeosang rolled his eyes.

'I'm not stupid. You wouldn't go through all that trouble just to see my face again. I thought that you needed to speak with me?' Yeosang spoke and became confused as Yeonjun began smiling. 'What?'

'Nothing. It's just that you haven't changed one bit. You're still just as serious as you were before.' Yeonjun spoke with a sly smirk on his lips. Yeosang didn't think it looked too good on him. He looked much better when he was serious.

'Then talk.' Yeosang then repeated himself.

'Okay, fine.' Yeonjun spoke, that smile still on his lips, as he sat down onto the couch. Yeosang decided to stay stood up, as it would be uncomfortable to sit next to the other. Yeosang didn't know what to feel about this whole situation. He felt awkward and uncomfortable, but also hopeful and happy in some weird way, and he didn't know why.

'I missed you.' Yeonjun then spoke. 'Simple as that.'

Yeosang let his arms fall down with a sigh. 'Look, Yeonjun i-'

'I'm not waiting for a miracle.' Yeonjun cut him off quickly. 'I am not waiting for you to say the same things and feel the same way, but I just want you to know that. That I really missed you when we weren't together anymore.'

Instead of saying something back at him and disagreeing with him Yeosang just nodded his head. He also felt like his voice would sound too weak right now if he tried to speak back. He couldn't help but feel slightly emotional at the mention of their break up.

'I just really hate it that we had to drift away like that.' Yeonjun continued, he too had now lost his smile and was more serious.

This was the Yeonjun that Yeosang first fell in love with. The sincere kind that was serious about the things that he said. He spoke straight from his heart and Yeosang could sense that. Just like when he apologized to him all those years ago, he could see that he was being truthful and serious about his apology and promises. Yeonjun was a very serious person- like Yeosang was as well- but he was way more thoughtful about his words. When he spoke like this, you could notice that he has been choosing the words that he would say for a while. He liked to plan the things that he said and he took those words from his heart.

He was much more smarter and mature now than he was when they were teens. He has grown up a lot and changed his way of thinking since meeting with Yeosang. He taught him a lot and made him see the world a bit differently. He taught Yeosang a few things along the way as well.

The two of them have changed a lot since first seeing each other. First came the roles, then their opinions of each other. They used to hate each other with all their might. It was hard getting rid of that hate, but they did that somehow. Then the neutral feelings turned into something more. It was really hard to go from hate to love, but it happened.  
Neither of them had expected that to happen at all, and were more than surprised to know that the feelings were mutual. So in a whole year they went from being the worst enemies into being in a relationship. It was very odd and very hard to keep that relationship working at the beginning as they were so different. But they made it work after a lot of work that they both put into it. It was a shame to see it all end when they separated ways.

'I hate it too.' Yeosang then said as he took a seat next to Yeonjun. He still found it difficult to look at him in the eyes for too long, so he looked at his hands instead.

'But there really was no other choice.' Yeosang added and Yeonjun had to nod his head. 'We live so far away and you are always so busy... You never even had the time to talk on the phone for a full conversation. I could never even visit you as the ride there is too long.' Yeosang had to stop himself as he felt like he was complaining too much and blaming Yeonjun for everything.

'Your dream is important to me.' Yeosang then added. 'Basketball is everything to you, like it was for me. I want you to be great in it and to show everyone else just how great you are as well. I could never ask you to ignore your dream even for one second just so you could be with me. That would be wrong.'

Yeonjun blinked once, twice before opening his mouth again. 'What if I told you that I had two dreams?' He looked straight at Yeosang and Yeosang couldn't help but look back. Yeonjun's eyes looked gentle and piercing as he looked at him. Yeosang felt his own pulse race.

'Don't.' He whispered, voice so desperate and broken. He knew exactly what Yeonjun meant with what he said, and he wasn't sure if he could handle him saying it out loud.

Yeonjun had come too far to not say what he had in his mind. He wouldn't back off now that he got here, and he wouldn't stay quiet about his feelings. Yeosang needed to know what he wanted to say and he needed to believe him.

'It began as a dream to beat you.' Yeonjun then spoke, ignoring Yeosang's plea to not say anything. 'I wanted nothing more out of basketball than to beat you at it. That was my biggest dream of all back then.'

'Ever since our first game against each other, I remember wanting to beat you at the game. I saw how great you were and I made beating you my own goal. I didn't care about the medals and prize money, as I just wanted to see you go down and become the winner. I remember feeling so defeated when I lost to you every time, but also much more stronger as I had something to look forward to.'

'Then things changed suddenly, because you stopped playing. I realized that I didn't even know how to play the game without thinking about beating you. Then you became my boyfriend, and I couldn't keep my head in the game at all anymore. I had no goal to fight for.'

'Well, I changed my way of thinking and began playing to show you how I had changed. Showing you my abilities and power became my goal, and it helped. I was so proud of myself to hear you cheer me on, even from those short phone calls a few times a week.'

Yeosang stayed quiet as he listened to Yeonjun speak, the times running through his mind as Yeonjun reminded him about how it all used to be.

'But then 'us' changed into 'me' and 'you' again.' Yeonjun continued, his eyes dark and heavy with a sad emotion.

'I no longer had a goal to look forward to since you were gone. I had no one to prove myself to, as I suddenly didn't care what everyone else said about me. I didn't feel much after that, to be honest.' Yeonjun added with a sad laugh. Yeosang understood exactly what he meant, as he went through the same thing.

There wasn't much that he did after they first separated ways. Yeosang was too sad and angry to do anything that would make him feel better- as he felt like nothing would make him feel better.

'Things have gotten a little bit better since then, but never to the same. I just lost that fire that I had before, and I don't think i'll ever get it back.' Yeonjun spoke while playing with his fingers.

'So, my dreams. I guess I could actually say that I just have one.' He spoke, voice low and quiet. 'It used to be basketball- but it never actually was that. There always was something- or more perhaps, someone- that was way more meaningful to me than the sport.'

'So no, the sport was never my dream to even begin with and will never be. There has always been a very mysterious and strong omega in the background that made me feel so much more than I could have ever felt with anyone else.'

Yeosang felt like even breathing was way too loud in the room. It was silent, except for the rapid heartbeat that Yeosang could hear coming through his chest. He was aware that the other wolf could hear it as well.

Yeosang felt like his hands would probably shake if he were to remove them from holding onto each other for support. His eyes were blurring from the tears that were threatening to fill his eyes and fall down.

His voice was a mere whisper when he finally spoke. 'I don't want to get hurt again.' He managed to get out and swallow down the odd feeling that he had in his throat. He then made the mistake of blinking his eyes and making the tears fall down his cheeks.

Yeonjun carefully reached his hands over and held Yeosang's face carefully in his big palms, his thumbs moving over to swipe away the tears.

'I know. I don't want that to happen either.' He confessed with a shaky voice. Yeosang was happy to know that he wasn't the only one near tears.

'Things will always be difficult and hard to deal with. But I know for a fact that I won't be able to get over you easily, ever. I just can't leave like this, without knowing what might have been between us. I don't want to keep thinking about being with you, but just do it instead.'  
Yeonjun knew that his voice was strong, and the alpha in him could make Yeosang kneel down no matter what. He would surely get what he wants if he just raised his voice and made orders. But that was not what he wanted. He didn't want to force or persuade Yeosang into making any decision. He wanted him to do it on his own with a clear mind and without their roles coming into their way.

'I know that you feel the same way as me, at least on some level.' Yeonjun added, his touch against Yeosang smooth and careful, like he was afraid that Yeosang would pull away. But he couldn't do that.

Instead Yeosang closed his eyes, letting the tears fall down once again. He moved close to Yeonjun's touch, enjoyed the feeling and the scent that he has been missing for way too long. He used to get so emotional when he found a piece of clothing that had an everlasting scent of Yeonjun and alpha all over it. Yeosang remembers some nights falling asleep with him holding onto the same clothing, just so he would calm down his emotions. He had missed him so much, that it hurt.

'I never want to feel that pain again.' Yeosang spoke, opening his eyes to see that Yeonjun too was very close to breaking down his walls that he was desperately trying to keep up. It was the alpha in him, not allowing him to look weak in front of Yeosang. But Yeosang didn't mind. He knew that Yeonjun was feeling the same things as he was, but just didn't show them as much.

Yeonjun carefully leaned in closer. His movements were slow and careful as he searched for anything in Yeosang's eyes that were telling him to stop. He saw none.

'We'll make sure that neither of us has to feel that pain ever again.' Yeonjun whispered, their lips just a small distance away from each other. Yeosang could have easily pulled away and ended it there, but he would be crazy to do so.

Throwing away the thoughts of; what if it won't work, what if this will be a huge mistake, what if they will just cause each other more harm than good- Yeosang closed the small gap between them.

He was so over the point of thinking about this clearly anymore. All that mattered to him right now, was that Yeonjun was here with him again. It didn't matter what happened after this or where they would continue at- as he just cared about the fact that they were together again.

Yeosang was done feeling alone and miserable as he thought about the other. Instead he wanted to feel happy again as he thought of the alpha, as the sad memories of being separated were replaced with happy ones.

Yeosang needed to live more, go out more often and do something productive with his time. He was done being lazy and he was done pushing things away and ignoring them. He made the same mistake when he ignored Yeonjun's call to see him again, and he would have regretted that forever. If it wasn't for Yeonjun going after him and searching for him like he did, they wouldn't have gotten here. From now on Yeosang never wants to make another mistake like that, starting from today.

He doesn't care where he will end up in the future, as long at Yeonjun is there with him.

*

'Well this is interesting.' Bogum laughed as he hanged onto San for dear life when a bunch of werewolf kids came running inside the house. San had to tell Bogum that it was pretty common for them to get pretty hyped and excited around each other, and he even predicted a few fights as well.

It was Bogum's first time ever being at a werewolf family gathering, as San invited him to join them a few months ago. He was a bit skeptical at first, as he didn't think that he would get along with the werewolves but San assured him that it would be fine. San has always felt like a part of the big family, even though he is a lot different from the rest. Bogum fit right in with the rest, just like July and Hwanwoondid.

No one was even upset when Yunho never turned, and they just learned that he was a human. He wasn't treated any different from the rest, and even Seonghwa's parents learned to speak their thoughts out better about roles. Perhaps they no longer cared that Yeosang and Wooyoung were omegas, as Jongho being an alpha and Mingi being a beta made them happy enough.

The family has changed a lot over the years. Every year they learned that someone had passed away or someone new joined them. You sometimes had a hard time figuring out who was who and why they were even related to you. San has lost count on how many far cousins, uncles and aunts he has.

Kids grow up, get a mate and then have their own children. People seem to change so much during the one year that they don't see each other that it is a big surprise every year to hear what has been going on with them. Every time someone has either gotten pregnant or gotten a mate, and this year was no different.

San can't sense it, but all the werewolves can, so a lot of new babies were going to be added to the family next year. San and the rest had to sit through some werewolf girl explain her pregnancy to everyone, and see the whole family go crazy about it. San wondered if this is what it was like when Seonghwa and Hongjoong first told about Yeosang.

Bogum and San gathered a lot of attention to themselves during the meeting, as people had heard a lot about San's brother on the phone- probably from Seonghwa's mother. He got a warm welcome, with a few a-bit-too personal questions thrown his way.

July is now an old family member in the meetings, as she has been there for a few times now already. She knows everyone quite well and Yunho's family likes her a lot. Everyone thought that it was amazing to have a fairy show up at the meeting, and other races as well. The first vampire was married into the family a few years ago from Seonghwa's father's side. Their family was truly growing and getting to a point where there were people that weren't all just werewolves.

Mingi was finally brave enough to tell Hongjoong one day that he was seeing someone, after his father asked him how he was able to write such good love songs. Hwanwoong was welcomed with open arms, Seonghwa’s family excited to see him perform magic tricks and spells at the meeting.

Seonghwa could have never guessed to see his family look like this many years ago, and neither could Hongjoong as the only non werewolf back then. It seemed to be such a big thing back then to not be a wolf and become a part of the family, but now it was totally normal. Seonghwa loved it, as he didn't have to fear about his children's future and about their future mates' place in the family. They would be treated the same as everyone else, and that was wonderful to see.

Yeonjun received a truly warm welcome back into the family.

When Yeosang first accidentally mentioned the other on the phone with Hongjoong, the other could have died out of happiness. He was so happy to hear that he and Yeonjun got everything sorted out in the end and were back together. Seonghwa was a bit worried at first, but learned to not be too over protective and was happy for them. Yeosang however got to hear the long talk about protected sex and heats after that call for way too many times. Which was fine on it's own, but not when Yeonjun was there next to him and when he could probably hear everything.

Yeosang and Yeonjun continued their relationship, even when Yeonjun continued to live in Jeonju where he played in the Korean basketball league. It was hard being separated from each other, just like they both knew it was going to be. But Yeonjun just needed to play for the remaining year, as he would be transferred to Incheon, which was way more closer to Seoul than they both could even dream about.

Yeosang and him made a plan to move there together, as Yeosang could easily make the small move. He did feel a bit sad however to leave Kihyun behind. Don't get him wrong- he was a proper asshole, but he made this all possible by being the asshole that he is, so Yeosang will be thankful for him. But Kihyun wasn't mad at all, as he would now get to have their small apartment all for himself and Shownu. He was also happy because he knew that he made the right thing when trying to annoy Yeosang with bringing Yeonjun over. Sometimes the wrong thing will end up being the right thing.

During the last year that Yeonjun was spending in Jeonju, Yeosang would drive over to his place every single weekend to see him. The car ride there was long and boring, but he would do it gladly to see Yeonjun.

Both of them were happy to hear that Yeonjun would be getting time off to come and join Yeosang's family meeting. Yeosang wanted Yeonjun to meet everyone properly and get to know everyone. He was so exited that he didn't even think about one pretty important thing.

'Yeosang! How could you do that, are you crazy!' Wooyoung and Jongho could hear Seonghwa yell from somewhere in the house. They laughed as they looked at each other when they heard a bunch of footsteps follow Yeosang's hurried screams.

'Did Dad just now get to smell Yeosang?' Jongho laughed as he looked through his phone, probably texting Beomgyu about the situation. Yeosang didn't know if it was weird or amazing that Jongho became best friends with the bully- and his boyfriends younger brother.

'Poor Appa, he has no idea what's going on.' Wooyoung faked a sigh as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Hongjoong truly had no idea what was going on, as he was unable to sense the change in Yeosang’s scent that Seonghwa had already obviously sensed. Soon he saw how Yeosang and Yeonjun were being chased down the stairs by Seonghwa who didn't look amused one bit. Seonghwa's mother followed behind with Hongjoong, a big smile on her face.

'Oh, honey let them be. It's normal to get mated when you're young these days!' She spoke when holding onto Hongjoong. Seonghwa just sighed deeply and crossed his arms.

'I mean I think it's okay.' Hongjoong then spoke after understanding what was going on, getting a pat on his back from Seonghwa's mother. Seonghwa however glared at him with a serious expression. Sure, Hongjoong too thought that maybe this situation could have been brought onto him and Seonghwa in a better way but he wanted to defend their son a little. He would still have a little chat with Yeonjun later however.

'Yo, we need some popcorn for this.' Yunho whispered as he somehow joined the scene with July only now.

'Dad, it's no big deal, really.' Yeosang then spoke, while he stood next to Yeonjun. 'We know what we are doing and we are serious about this. It isn't going to be a mistake.' He added as he took a hold of Yeonjun's hand. Seonghwa stayed quiet as Hongjoong awed in the background.

The thought of his baby- Yeosang, being marked and mated to someone just wrecked his mind. A little warning would have been nice! But no, instead Seonghwa had to find out by hugging his son and smelling the link that had formed between the two. That wasn’t even the worst part, mid yelling Seonghwa pulled on his son's sleeve and revealed the fresh mark on the base of his neck. Seonghwa could have passed out right then and there.

Seonghwa let his arms fall down with a sigh as he gave up both physically and mentally. 'Fine.' He spoke with a pout. He then turned to the innocent Alpha standing next to his son.

'But if you ever hurt Yeosang even a little bit, be sure to know that I will hunt you down and end you right there where you are standing.' Seonghwa quickly added, his voice serious and low. Even though Yeonjun was an alpha and so was Jongho, both of them could feel shivers go down their spines as Seonghwa's omega spoke with such strength. You could only imagine what an omega was feeling right now, and Yeosang could say it pretty clearly- he was scared shitless.

'Yes sir.' Yeonjun finally managed to say, after collecting his brain and heart from the scare that Seonghwa gave him. Yeosang's siblings were very amused to see him squirm under Seonghwa's gaze. Yunho felt a bit bad for him though, as he went through the exact same thing with July's father when they made their relationship official. He was lucky that he didn't get some fairy spell put on him.

'Good.' Seonghwa then said, clearing his throat. 'Putting all that aside, I'm happy for you.' He said and Yeosang walked up to hug him with a smile. Seonghwa was a bit slow to hug back as he was probably still a bit upset but he hugged him back in the end.

'But you could have told me sooner so that I wouldn't have needed to find out by smelling his alpha all over you.' Seonghwa murmured and Yeosang laughed.

'Yeah, sorry about that.' Yeosang spoke as he pulled away.

'Hey Dad,' Wooyoung then spoke. 'you should be happy that was the only thing you could scent out of him. Wait till a few years when he has some more news.' He spoke with a sly smirk, not even paying attention to his surroundings as he was looking at his phone. The hit from Yeosang came as a surprise and Wooyoung winced as he was hit across the head.

'You better keep your mouth shut.' Yeosang warned the other. Wooyoung just smirked back and showed his tongue at the other. Yeosang stood still for a moment with his arms crossed.

'Since you don't seem to care about other people's personal things, I guess that you don't mind it if I mention a particular beta named Changbin, right?' Yeosang spoke, the smirk now on his lips instead of Wooyoung's.

'I hope your alpha can run fast enough to help you as i'm about to kill you.' Wooyoung murmured before quickly moving up from the couch, running after Yeosang who already ran away as soon as he saw Wooyoung get angry.

Instead of helping the two with their fight, everyone kinda just turned to look at Seonghwa, who looked exhausted. Mingi slowly turned to Hwanwoong and just apologetically told him that maybe it wouldn’t be for the best if they also shared some news to his parents right now. 

'I give up.' Seonghwa spoke while moving his hands up. 'I just need to accept my fate of becoming a grandfather at a young age, as there is nothing more I can do to stop any of this.' He spoke with a sigh. Hongjoong slowly made his way to his side.

'But we'll be great grandparents, so it will be alright.' He smiled, trying to cheer him up. Seonghwa kinda gave up with trying to stay mad and just nodded his head.

'Guess so.' He sighed.

'But don't you ever try to to find someone Jongho, you are my only hope and my baby- so you will not have the permission to grow up yet and move away from home.' Seonghwa then spoke pointing at the innocent Jongho who had been on his phone for the whole conversation and probably missed the whole thing.

'Why am I always the baby.' Jongho whined as he looked up from his phone. He decided not to fight him back, as he was too tired to do so. 

'In the end they all will always be our babies.' Hongjoong comforted Seonghwa, in a way that made all of the kids gag and laugh at them. But Seonghwa took comfort from it. Because it was true.

They will always be their kids, even when they grow up and move away from home. Even when they get jobs and start a family of their own. They will never forget their parents and what they did for them in order for them to have such a good life.

They will sometimes find their parents annoying and a bit too interested in what they are doing in their free time, but they shouldn't forget that they used to always tell their parents everything when they were little. They used to need their parents around the clock at all times for everything and as they are becoming more and more independent, and it feels weird to no longer be needed like before.

Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong still remember it very clearly when they first began even thinking about having children. It was an exciting time in their lives when they couldn't wait to have things change.

They remember still living in the house, just by themselves. It was lonely in the house without any small feet running around the living room and stairs. It was odd making food for only two people instead of eight.

The two of them really got used to the number eight. But like all things even that had to change at some point. Yeosang moving away was the first thing that made Seonghwa and Hongjoong realize that things were changing. Then came Jongho turning and getting his role. That made them realize that even their youngest one was no longer the baby that Seonghwa liked to call him.

They had relationships now, that were so completely different from the childhood crushes that were so harmless. It was odd seeing their children find someone who they feel the same way about as Seonghwa and Hongjoong do about each other.

And even though it felt odd, as they were still so young in Seonghwa's eyes, this was normal. Everyone had crushes and fell in love at some point. Seonghwa at least hoped that their children would find that special someone at some point in their life. It just seemed to happen so fast.

He was just worried, and so was Hongjoong. It was hard 'giving' your child away to someone who you didn't know that well. You just had to trust them in the end, and trust that they knew what they were doing and that they would take good care of each other.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong hoped that Yeosang and Yeonjun would stay together as long as possible, and they wished the same from Yunho and July. They just wanted them all to be happy and if it meant being together- then they would get both Hongjoong's and Seonghwa's unlimited support. They also hoped that San and Jongho also would find someone who they would like to spend the rest of their life together with.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa knew that there was no way of telling what tomorrow would be like, but they could always wish for good things.

They wished that Yeosang would find himself a career that he would enjoy doing more than anything, and that he would succeed in it for years. And even though Seonghwa still feels sour about it, they both wish that he and Yeonjun grow together for a long time. Even if that means that he and Hongjoong will get some news a bit late. In the end, Seonghwa can't be complaining for too long about finding out about the fact that they were now mates, as he too told his own parents a bit late as well. They heard about Seonghwa being pregnant a few weeks late as well, so he should understand where Yeosang got his genes of not being able to tell news at the right time.

They wished that Yunho would succeed in his career of dancing, and that he could continue on that career for his whole life. They wished that he and July would be happy together and that they could always lean on their parents if they needed any help.

They wish that Mingi enjoys working alongside Hongjoong and that he won’t lose the fire inside him that burns for creating music that he oh so enjoys. They hope that everything works out between him and Hwanwoong.

They wished that San would get to know Bogum better and make up for the lost time that they didn't have together before. Both Hongjoong and Seonghwa hoped that they would learn more about their pasts and where they came from. They would always get help from Hongjoong and Seonghwa when they needed it, and they would always be there for the both of them when they needed someone to lean onto. They hope that San will succeed in a career and that they taught him well enough not to listen to anyone saying something about his disabilities.

They wish that Wooyoung will make all his dreams come true. No matter how odd or impossible they may seem at some point, they hope that Wooyoung will make all of his dreams become a reality. Seonghwa hopes that he will listen to no one who says that he won't be able to do something because of his race or role, and Hongjoong hopes that he won't believe the ones commenting about his disadvantages.

They wish that Jongho will learn from his brothers and parents enough to become successful in what he wants to do. They hope that he becomes a smart young man, as he has lived his whole life in a household that is so full of love, care and people that had different beginnings and stories. Jongho learned a lot from everyone in his family, and they all hoped that he would use those things that he learned outside.

In the end Hongjoong and Seonghwa wished that they would remember them. Remember the things that they did for them.

That they would remember the times when they would blow on their cuts and scratches when they were crying as kids. Or when they needed to still tie their shoelaces before driving them to daycare.

Hongjoong hoped that they all would know how much trouble Seonghwa went through to even bring them into this world. The countless nights spent not being able to fall asleep as he was carrying new life inside of him or the many days spent at work, exhausted as he was doing all of this while going back to home to take care of the rest of them.

Hongjoong hoped that they knew the amount of love that Seonghwa put into every little detail that he did around the house. Like when cooking food for them, or putting out their clothes for school. He did that all while still working a full time job, and he did it without a complaint.

Seonghwa hoped that the kids would know the amount of hours Hongjoong spent worrying about them. The sleepless nights and messy days that he would just spend doing nothing more than thinking about them and their future. Hongjoong did a lot of work in order to give them the things that they needed and wanted, and he didn't even ever mention the amount of money that went into the toys that they wanted or the things that needed to be bought for their hobbies. The kids never got to hear about the few times when they thought that they would run out of money for the month and how Hongjoong had to put extra hours into his job.

Seonghwa hoped that they knew how much time Hongjoong spent searching for things about their possible future roles. Or how many times he has read through the info pamphlets about ADD and Wooyoung's allergies. They never saw it, but Hongjoong worried about them a lot. How he wanted to learn about them.

There were a lot of things that were going on in the background where the kids couldn't see when they were young. Hongjoong and Seonghwa kept a lot of things hidden so that they didn't need to worry about anything. They wanted them to spend their childhood without a worry, and that is exactly what they did. Yeosang, Yunho, Mingi, Wooyoung, San and Jongho spent a happy childhood without any worry about their family being in any kind of danger. They didn't need to think about how to spend money or wonder if they would get dinner today. Hongjoong and Seonghwa always made it possible for them, no matter what it took.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa know that it will be hard to hear a proper thank you from them- as every child has a hard time thanking their parents, but they notice the small things. Like the sweet tone that Yeosang uses when he calls them to ask how they have been doing, or how he ends the call with a simple 'i love you' before hanging up. Or how Jongho still gives Hongjoong a kiss before going to school every now and then, even though he finds it embarrassing sometimes. In the end they both know that all of their kids love them very much, even though they sometimes have a hard time showing it.

So one night, when they are laying next to each other in their bed, perhaps ten years from today and when the house is emptier than ever- Hongjoong and Seonghwa will know that they did everything that they could to give their kids the perfect live- and they will know that they did a great job at preparing them for the future.

Now, looking back at an old family photo that was taken on a very special day when they had all gathered together at the family meeting- Seonghwa and Hongjoong remember the times and what it was like to see their family at that size.

Yeosang stood next to Yeonjun while Yunho and July were next to them. Jongho and Wooyoung sat on the floor, as Wooyoung had Jongho in a headlock with big smiles on their faces. San stood next to Bogum, who was very happy to be asked to be a part of the family picture. Hwanwoong’s cheeks were tinted red as he was slightly embarrassed to be pulled in as well, but Mingi insisted. Hongjoong and Seonghwa stood in the middle.

You never know what is going to happen tomorrow, or the day after that- but you should always remember to live in the moment.

You should never get stuck into thinking about the past and regretting things that you didn't do or did do. You needed to let go of the past in order to enjoy the moment and to be able to look forward into the future.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa lived without regrets, and they hoped that their children would do the same.

So, perhaps one day Hongjoong and Seonghwa will receive a call of help from someone asking them how on earth paying bills worked now that they live on their own, or how do you change a tire to a car or even the most awaited question of all; how to change a diaper.

They will be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for coming along with me on this journey!  
> twitter@ NE0_ClTY

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @NE0_ClTY


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